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CQESHIGHT DEPOSm 



THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 



BOOKS IN THE SERIES 

First Year: 

Part I — Student Standards of Action, by Harrison S. Elliott 
and Ethel Cutler. 

Part II — Christian Standards in Life, by J. Lovell Murray 
and Frederick M. Harris. 

Second Year: 

Part I — A Life at Its Best", by Richard Henry Edwards and 
Ethel Cutler. 

Part II — A Challenge to Life Service, by Frederick M. Harris 
and Joseph C. Robbins. 

Third Year: 

Part I — (In course of preparation.) 

Part II — The Faiths of Mankind, by Edmund D. Soper. 

Fourth Year: 

Part I — The Social Principles of Jesus, by Walter Rauschen- 
busch. 

Part II — Christianizing Community Life, by Harry F. Ward 
and Richard Henry Edwards. 



COLLEGE VOLUNTARY STUDY COURSES 
THIRD YEAR— PART II 

THE 
FAITHS OF MANKIND 



By 

Edmund Davison Soper 

Professor in Drew Theological Seminary 



Written under the direction of 

Sub-Committee on College Courses 

Su'NDAY School Council of Evangelical 

Denominations 

AND 

Committee on Voluntary Study 
Council of North American Student Movements 



ASSOCIATION PRESS 

New York: 124 East 28th Street 
1918 



St 



Copyright, 1918, by 

The International Committee of 

Young Men's Christian Associations 



LC Control Number 




tmp96 025241 



FEB -8 1918 



The Bible text printed in short measure (indented both sides) is taken from 
the American Standard Edition of the Revised Bible, copyright, 1901, by 
Thomas Nelson & Sons, and is used by permission. 



©CI.A492197 



A.-vn3 



CONTENTS 

Chapter Page 

I . Where Fear Holds Sway r 

II . Who Is My Brother? 15 

III . Like Gods, Like People 27 

IV. Vanity of Vanities, All Is Vanity 43 

V. The Wheel of the Excellent Law s^ 

VI . Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother 72 

VII . Religion and Patriotism 87 

VIII . We Have Abraham to Our Father 100 

IX. A Prophet Who Missed the Way 11 r 

X . There Is No God but Allah 125 

XI . The Dream of Religion Come True 140 

XII . What Manner of Man Is This? 153 



COLLEGE VOLUNTARY STUDY COURSES 

"The Faiths of Mankind" takes sixth place in a series of 
text-books known as College Voluntary Study Courses. The 
general outline for this curriculum has been prepared by the 
Committee on Voluntary Study of the Council of North 
American Student Movements, representing the Student 
Young Men's and Young Women^s Christian Associations 
and the Student Volunteer Movement, and the Sub-Com- 
mittee on College Courses of the Sunday School Council 
of Evangelical Denominations, representing twenty-nine com- 
munions. Therefore the text-books are planned for the use 
of student classes in the Sunday school, as well as for the 
supplementary groups on the campus. The present text-book 
has been written under the direction of these Committees. 

The text-books are not suitable for use in the academic 
curriculum, as they have been definitely planned for voluntary 
study groups. 

This series, covering four years, is designed to form a 
minimum curriculum for the voluntary study of the Bible, 
foreign missions, and North American problems. Daily Bible 
Readings are printed with each text-book. The student view- 
point is given first emphasis — what are the student interests? 
what are the student problems? 



INTRODUCTION 

This book is intended for those who have never made a 
study of the religions of the world. The purpose has been to 
present the various religions in such a manner as to create 
intelligent and sympathetic interest in every form of reli- 
gion. The attempt to make this volume conform to the other 
volumes of this series has been by no means easy. . This has 
been felt in three particulars. 

1. The need of daily Bible readings has been recognized 
and they have been provided, but they are of necessity very 
short. The fact that in each case they deal with some phase 
of the religion under consideration should count for some- 
thing in making up the loss of a more extended reading. 

2. The division of the book into twelve chapters of about 
equal length has rather arbitrarily determined the number of 
religions treated. When in four cases two chapters have 
been given to a single religion the limitation is the more 
evident. It was quite obvious that only living religions should 
be included, but when living faiths like Zoroastrianism and 
Jainism are excluded the drawback of the method is very 
apparent. 

3. More difficult has been the effort to make possible a 
correct and adequate acquaintance with the religions pre- 
sented. Much has had to be omitted which is necessary to 
a full understanding of the religions. Almost no references 
have been made to religious literature and very few to the 
cults. The aim has been to convey as clearly as possible the 
meaning of these religions to their adherents, and to point 
out their effects on life and character. The religions have 
been presented in their historical devlopment as the only 
method, even in a brief sketch, of understanding their sig- 
nificance. 

vii 



viii INTRODUCTION 

The need of an introductory chapter has been keenly felt, 
in which the proper attitude of those who are Christians 
toward adherents of other faiths might be shown. It is 
hoped that the spirit of the book and the method used will 
make clear what is not thus formally stated. The writer 
can only say here that while he is firmly convinced of the 
uniqueness of Christianity and looks upon it as the final 
faith, he cannot but feel that in every religion men have been 
trying to find the true God and are reaching out after Him 
who "by divers portions and in divers manners" has mani- 
fested Himself to men of all faiths. Realizing this, the only 
attitude of a Christian is that of sympathy — a sympathy the 
more deep and full of pity that the need of Jesus Christ is so 
universally present. 

(For every subject dealt with in this volume the great 
mine of information is "The Encyclopedia of Religion and 
Ethics," edited by James Hastings, the articles in which are 
contributed by authorities on the various subjects* treated.) 



CHAPTER I 

WHERE FEAR HOLDS SWAY 

Where shall we begin in this study of the faiths of man- 
kind? Shall it be with the more developed faiths, like 
Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity? Why not begin with 
religion in its simpler forms, religion as found among the 
savage or unciviHzed peoples of the world? The religion 
of the primitive peoples is largely a religion of fear. It will 
prove helpful before studying primitive rehgion 'itself to 
discover the attitude toward fear taken by Hebrew and 
Christian writers in the Bible. 

Daily Readings 

First Day : Is it true that fear and dread destroy the 
happiness of many of the men and women you know? 
Looking at the surface facts this seems to be a pretty strong 
assumption. But can we judge by what we ordinarily see and 
hear? Joy cannot be hidden, but fear can. Were we to know 
what is going on in the inner hearts of men, what a revela- 
tion it would be ! We might find many whose experience 
would match that of Job : 

Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, 

And life unto the bitter in soul; 

Who long for death, but it cometh not. 

And dig for it more than for hid treasures? ... 

For the thing which I fear cometh upon me, 

And that which I am afraid of cometh unto me. 

I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I 

rest; 
But trouble cometh. — Job 3 : 20, 21, 25, 2(i. 

If such experiences are to be found among ourselves, what 

I 



[1-2] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

must be those of the crude backward peoples, whose gods 
are unfriendly and malevolent? 

Second Day: Fear disqualifies a man for constructive work. 
What can you do with a terrified man? Nothing until he is 
pacified and calmed. Even where lesser fears prevail, such 
as dread and anxiety, usefulness is curtailed. What is 
needed? Is it not confidence and courage, like that Joshua 
was told to have? 

Be strong and of good courage; be not affrighted, 
neither be thou dismayed: for Jehovah thy God is 
with thee whithersoever thou goest. — Josh, i : 9. 

Such courage comes to a Christian through confidence 
in God and his protection. To him God is good. Many a 
man in the worst kind of trouble has been able to repeat the 
reassuring words, "The eternal God is thy dwelling-place, 
and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deut. 2>:^:2y), 
What would it mean to you to have this invincible con- 
fidence in God's goodness? 

Third Day: There is another and deeper kind of fear 
which comes to men — that caused by a troubled conscience. 
Can peace come and the fine flowers of character grow, with 
this unhealed sore in the life? Notice the contrasts of 
peace and distress in Psalm 32: 

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven. 

Whose sin is covered. 

Blessed is the man unto whom Jehovah imputeth not 

iniquity, 
And in whose spirit there is no guile. . . . 
I acknowledged my sin unto thee. 
And mine iniquity did I not hide: 
I said, I will confess my transgressions unto Jehovah ; 
And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. — Psalm 

32:1, 2, 5. 

In the New Testament the terribleness of sin is, if pos- 
sible, intensified. Could any one except a man who had 

2 



WHERE FEAR HOLDS SWAY [I-4] 

known the terrors of a troubled conscience have written that 
vivid verse, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the 
living God" (Heb. 10: 31)? Is a man justified in being 
afraid if he has a bad conscience? 

Fourth Day: One of the great words in the Bible is "Fear 
not." The place of fear is to be taken by peace. What is 
peace? Can we not look on it as a kind of atmosphere in 
which everything good can grow? Here is an idyllic picture 
of the "good day coming" when peace shall reign. 

And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the 
leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and 
the young lion and the f atling together ; and a little 
child shall lead them. . . . For the earth shall be 
full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters 
cover the sea. Isa. 11:6, 9. 

Can you see even through the thick clouds of the world 
war the possibility of a day like that? And for us as indi- 
viduals today we have Jesus* word, "Peace I leave with you; 
my peace I give unto you. . . . Let not your heart be 
troubled, neither let it be fearful" (John 14: 2y) . John goes 
a step farther. 

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth 
out fear, because fear hath punishment; and he that 
f eareth is not made perfect in love. — I John 4 : 18. 

What kind of love is it that can exterminate fear? Where 
does it begin? 

Fifth Day: There is a fear which is quite different: it is 
the fear which is synonymous with awe and reverence, re- 
spect for rightful authority, deference. Consider how dif- 
ferent your attitude is when possessed by this kind of fear. 
It actually ceases to be fear in the ordinary sense. "Ye shall 
fear every man his mother, and his father" (Lev. 19:3), 
surely points to a very different experience from that of 
fear in the previous readings. "Honor all men. Love the 

3 



[1-6] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king" (I Peter 2:17). 
What does fear mean in these two verses? 

Sixth Day : "The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wis- 
dom" (Prov. 9:10). What place should respect and rever- 
ence play in life? Could the state continue to exist without 
respect for law and constituted authority? Can a friend- 
ship be strong and wholesome unless based on respect and 
reverence? Can individual character be built on any founda- 
tion but that of self-respect? With these questions in mind, 
consider how the fear of Jehovah may be said to underlie 
all these other kinds of fear. Read the account of Isaiah's 
call. What was his attitude in God's presence? To what 
did it lead? 

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord 
sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up ; and his 
train filled the temple. Above him stood the sera- 
phim : each one had six wings ; with twain he cov- 
ered his face, with twain he covered his feet, and with 
twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and 
said. Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of hosts : the whole 
earth is full of his glory. And the foundations of 
the thresholds shook at the voice of him that cried, 
and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, 
Woe is me ! for I am undone ; because I am a man of 
unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of 
unclean lips : for mine eyes have seen the King, Je- 
hovah of hosts. 

Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a 
live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the 
tongs from of¥ the altar : and he touched my mouth 
with it, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips ; and 
thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin forgiven. 
And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying. Whom 
shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said, 
Here am I ; send me. — Isa. 6 : 1-8. 

Seventh Day: Listen to the song of adoration in the clos- 
ing book of the Bible. 



WHERE FEAR HOLDS SWAY [I-s] 

Great and marvellous are thy works, O Lord God, 
the Almighty; righteous and true are thy ways, thou 
King of the ages. Who shall not fear, O Lord, and 
glorify thy name? for thou only art holy; for all the 
nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy 
righteous acts have been made manifest. — Rev. 
15:3, 4. 

Why were the worshipers to be in fear of God? Should 
our attitude be any different now? What effect should such 
an attitude of reverence for God and all His creation have 
upon our daily conduct? 

In all this we have the example of Jesus Christ Himself. 
Are we not to follow "in His train"? 

Who in the days of his flesh, having offered up 
prayers and supplications with strong crying and 
tears unto him that was able to save him from death, 
and having been heard for his godly fear, though he 
was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which 
he suffered ; and having been made perfect, he be- 
came unto all them that obey him the author of 
eternal salvation. — Heb. 5 : 7-9. 

Study for the Week 

I 

All primitive peoples have some form of religion. Their 
religion may be a dance more than a belief, it may have 
more to do with their heels than with their heads, but for 
all that it is religion. We start with a religion very simple, 
very naive, very crude, but still a real religion. 

Who are these primitive peoples? They are the Indians 
of North and South America, the Eskimos, the Negroes of 
Central and South Africa, the peoples of the South Sea 
Islands (including the great islands of New Guinea, Borneo, 
Sumatra, and the Philippines), the black men of Australia, 
and the aboriginal tribes of Japan, China, and India. Not 
only do they live in widely scattered areas ; they are not in- 
considerable in numbers, even though the population is not 



[I-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

dense in any one place. Their very mode of living makes 
it impossible for them to remain in large groups. One 
recent estimate gives their number at about 157,000,000, an- 
other 173,000,000. There is one other reason for the study of 
the religion of these people. When we describe their reli- 
gion we are describing the religion of our own savage fore- 
fathers, who roamed the forests and plains of Northern 
Europe. For the religion of all primitive peoples is essen- 
tially the same. 

II 

What kind of being is a primitive or savage man? He is 
like us and yet he is not. He looks out on the same universe, 
yet he looks at it differently. We see the same thing in our 
homes. We all live in the same environment, but it is a very 
different world to the little children from what it is to us. 
A child lives in fairyland. "Alice in Wonderland" is just 
as real as tables and chairs. It would be no more wonderful 
to see a shoe turn into a real live grinning monkey than to 
watch a willow stick made into a whistle. To him anything 
might be anything else just as easily as be what it is. Now 
a savage is very much like a child. He has a man's body, 
developed and strong, and a man's experience in many re- 
spects like our own, but with a child's outlook and way of 
thinking about the world. The chief difference is that the 
savage is mature physically, has picked up a lot of useful 
information, and is expert in forest and animal lore. With 
all this, however, he has retained the same naive attitude 
toward nature and the inner world of his own life. He 
seems to have but one method of explaining what happens, 
and that is by referring it to the way he makes things happen. 
If the wind blows, some one must be blowing or letting the 
winds out of a bag. He carries this out to the last detail, 
until his universe is filled with spirits. He never asks, what 
caused my toothache, but always who caused it? He is an 
"animist." He Hves in a world that is alive. 

He reasons this way all unconsciously to himself. He has 

6 



WHERE FEAR HOLDS SWAY [Is] 

never investigated his mental processes. True, he cannot 
see the spirits which surround him, but they are very real to 
him. He thinks he does see them at times, on dark nights 
and in secluded places, and he has countless ghost stories. 
We hear them told even among ourselves, showing that we 
have not gone as far as we think from the animistic way of 
looking at things. 

But why does he think he sees ghosts and how can he 
believe in so many spirits, which are for the most part invis- 
ible? It is sc^ircely possible to escape the conclusion that he 
came to believe in spirits through the experience of dreams 
and through the coming of death into his family. In dreams 
he wanders over the universe. No bound can be set to his 
travels. He does it all in a few moments. To him it is all 
just as real as eating and drinking. But he has learned 
from what others say that while he was out on his wonder- 
ful journey his body was just where he lay down and where 
he found himself when he waked up. A spirit then can leave 
its body and journey anywhere, disembodied and invisible. 
Death also is hard to understand. It is very much like 
sleep to him, but why does not the spirit come back as it has 
done so often before? This is the mystery to him, and it 
becomes all the more mysterious and horrible when the body 
begins to decay and to grow repulsive. He lives in a world 
which he cannot understand. It is full of spirits and spirit- 
ual influences which can do what he cannot. He is in a very 
real sense helpless before them. 

Ill 

This primitive man is religious. The animism we have 
been describing is not his religion, but it is very close to it. 
The spirits or gods he worships are the spirits of his ani- 
mism. In what sense can they be called gods or deities? 
Probably in no deeper sense than that they are stronger and 
more cunning than he is, and that he must have dealings 
with them. In Japan the earliest term for gods was Kami, 

7 



[I-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

which means "something above." Anything that is higher: 
or stronger or more cunning than I am may be a Kami. 

All the greater objects of nature have thus served as 
gods. The ocean, the mountains, the clouds, the dawn, the 
stars, the moon, and the sun all have been looked upon as 
divinities and have been worshiped. The Ipurinas of Brazil 
speak of the sun as "our Father," and think of him as a 
little old man, who was their progenitor and still cares for 
his children. It would not be so hard to understand how 
men should worship the greater and grander aspects of 
nature. We think of them as uplifting and purifying, as they 
stand out in their isolated grandeur. But primitive peoples 
are not able to read into their interpretation what we have 
learned from other sources. 

The strange thing is that the savage prefers other deities. 
The lesser powers of nature fascinate him. The spirits in 
trees, springs, streams, rocks, caves, and dark recesses are 
deified to a far greater extent than are the stars. Certain 
stones are sacred to the Zulus, because their ancestors are 
said to have emerged from one such stone split in two. How 
does it happen that one object is chosen rather than another 
to be worshiped? In all probability, the savage to whom you 
might put this question could not answer. He does just as 
his fathers did, and that is all he knows about it. But there 
must be some reason. It is in all likelihood because of 
something strange or awesome or uncanny about it. This 
doubtless accounts for the reverence given certain animals 
like the snake, whose worship is very widespread indeed. 
The very aversion man has for a snake would lead a savage 
to consider it as out of the ordinary. 

In many parts of the world another form of worship is 
found — the worship of ancestors. Fathers and grandfathers- 
especially are held in reverence and have offerings made to 
them when they have died. When a man dies, his spirit, 
going into a new and unknown realm, becomes mysterious 
and hence stronger and more to be feared than when em- 
bodied here among his fellows. He can now do harm or 

8 



WHERE FEAR HOLDS SWAY [I-s] 

possibly ward off danger from his descendants, according 
to the treatment offered him. His spirit is not very far 
away and takes note of all that is happening. The worship, 
then, that is offered springs not only out of the respect which 
the memory of one of their own departed ones would inspire, 
but far more out of dread and fear. A spirit is not a thing 
to be trifled with. It must be fed and treated well, or else 
it will wreak vengeance upon the neglectful descendants who 
have dared to do so unaccountable a thing. 

A strange phase of savage life is the relation of man to 
animals. The line between them is not very distinct. Among 
many people there exists the fear that men might be turned 
into animals with little difficulty. Tales are told of how it 
has happened, and these tales have come down into our folk 
lore, where we have gruesome stories of were-wolves and 
other unnatural combinations. The form in which this belief 
is found today among primitive peoples is Totemism. Now 
a totem is an animal (or in some places a plant) to which 
the people of a tribe who belong to that totem clan are sup- 
posed to be related. All the people belong to one or another 
of these clans, the supposition being that the animal was the 
ancestor of the clan. This makes the animal sacred or tahu, 
which means that it must not be killed by members of that 
totem clan. The only exception is when the animal is eaten 
religiously, as a symbol of the closeness of relationship be- 
tween the clan and its totem. An Alaskan totem pole is 
nothing else than a representation of certain animals which 
are the totems of tribal clans. 

IV 

We are not yet at the end of the list. In various parts 
of the earth men are found acting in very queer ways with 
what we might call deities or gods only with apologies. 
They are fetiches. The name comes from the term feitico, 
which the Portuguese sailors gave to the strange objects 
which were a part of the religious paraphernalia of the 
West Africa negroes. The word as these sailors used it 

9 



[I-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

means "something made" or "concocted.'' A man who 
wanted a fetich would go to the medicine man or witch 
doctor and have him make one for him. It was usually a 
diabolical mixture of all sorts of horrible and repulsive things 
put into the hollow of a gazelle horn, which was then sealed 
and hung around the neck of the possessor. In other places 
no such elaborate preparation was needed. Anything that 
struck the eye of the savage as queer or grotesque he might 
take as his fetich. The important thing is that a fetich is 
any object which is supposed to be the abode of a spirit, 
which will be of service to the user. The object then is 
worshiped only because of the spirit living in it. But this 
so-called worship is a peculiar thing. The spirit is told to 
do what the owner desires; it is often cajoled into doing it. 
In reality it is more of a slave in the possession of its owner, 
than a spirit to whom he comes with a request. It has been 
called "a god at man's disposal." If it does not do what is 
expected, the fetich is scolded and even beaten. Then if it 
continues to be obstinate in its disobedience, it is thrown 
away as being of no use — the spirit has departed; it is only 
a stick or stone or horn like any other. 

Fetichism is the negation of all true religion and worship, 
where prayer and supplication and humility are the fitting 
attitudes. Whatever may be its origin, there it is — a force 
in savage life, always hurtful and tending to drag what little 
helpfulness there is in savage religion down into the mire. 
For the most part it is anti-social, a man securing a fetich 
to get even with an enemy or to secure luck at the expense 
of some one else. It is one of the darkest sides of a heathen- 
ism already clouded over by superstition and dark deeds. 

Looking at fetichism broadly, we can see that it is one 
of the manifestations of the all-prevalent magic which is to 
be found in every part of the world among these animistic 
peoples. What is magic? It is hard to define. A savage 
is frequently in difficulty and confusion; he has wants of all 
kinds and he is at his wif s end to supply them. He is will- 
ing to do anything to get relief and secure what he desires. 

10 



WHERE FEAR HOLDS SWAY [I-s] 

Whatever he does must be with the help of the spirits about 
him. He will try to placate them by offerings and make 
request of them for what he desires, and we call this religion. 
But this is not all he can do. In various ways he has picked 
up some bits of useful information — for example, that by 
striking two stones together a spark may be produced. This 
is the beginning of science, man's start in progress, but to 
the savage himself, controlled by his belief in spirits, there 
is no real difference between this and the other (the reli- 
gious) method. In each case he believes that what is ac- 
complished is the work of spirits or the result of spiritual 
influence. He does not see what we see, that in one case he 
is appealing to spiritual powers and in the other he has dis- 
covered one of the applications of the law of cause and 
effect, that he has started on his long course of scientific dis- 
covery and invention. He does not think about it at all ; he 
finds that it works, he feels sure some spiritual influence is 
present. When any distinction is made by the savage him- 
self, it is between that use of magic which is directed toward 
the public good, called white magic, and that which is private 
and selfish and directed toward hurting somebody, called 
black magic. Whenever a man secures what he desires from 
spiritual beings, not by prayer and dependence, but by com- 
pulsion and by a sense of superiority, of '^knowing the trick," 
he debases religion and himself and thwarts any possibility 
of advance. 

V 

Almost nothing has been said about the character of these 
deities or spirits. They are just like the universe from which 
they are taken. They can be as kind as a summer afternoon ; 
they can also be as cruel as a volcano. We have heard tales 
of the idyllic life of the simple uncontaminated savage. 
The dreadful fact is that for the savage the kind deities 
seem to have withdrawn for the most part, and he must 
have nearly all his dealings with cruel, malevolent gods, 
always seeking to do him harm. He has no one among the 

IT 



[I-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

spirits whom he can trust. Faith and confidence have no 
opportunity to develop and so lie dormant. "Animism seems 
devised for the purpose of tormenting men, and hindering 
them from enjoying life. . . . Gigantic spirits stride through 
the villages scattering epidemics around them. . . . They 
are not laughing fauns or mocking satyrs, but merciless 
messengers of death, enemies swollen with envy, who would 
fain hurl the living into the kingdom of the dead." 

Having no faith in his gods, the savage can develop little 
faith in his neighbor. Distrust is everywhere present in his 
personal life, as tribal wars are the rule in his larger world. 
With little or nothing to restrain his impulses a man is 
controlled by his natural instincts. Being the stronger the 
man lords it over the woman, who is little better than a 
chattel. She is the drudge and the despised bearer of chil- 
dren and doer of chores. No advance in civilization can be 
made on this basis. Something must come in from the out- 
side and turn the life into new channels before any change 
can take place. He gives to the gods what he thinks they 
need and want, and he determines this by his own needs and 
desires. But he offers these sacrifices to placate angry 
deities, to buy them off, so that they will not carry out their 
malignant designs. His life is on the low level of material 
wants and desires, and never gets above them. It is sick- 
ness and loss and death he wishes to avoid, and good crops, 
increase in his herd, and many children that he desires. His 
idea of salvation is merely to be saved from want and illness 
and bad luck. There is nothing morally elevating or spirit- 
ually progressive about it in any way. 

VI 

What is to become of these forms of religious life? When- 
ever they come into contact with higher forms of religion, 
they go to the wall. With no literature, no firmly intrenched 
priestly class with a well established tradition, with no 
founder and splendid history to look back upon, there is little 
to hold them when the elaborate worships and the uplifting 

12 



WHERE FEAR HOLDS SWAY [I-s] 

teachings of the higher faiths are presented to them. As 
a matter of present-day history, it must be regarded as sig- 
nificant that the aboriginal tribes of India are being absorbed 
into the great body of Hinduism. Buddhism has won the 
allegiance of many animists in her long history. Islam is 
making phenomenal progress in the Dutch East Indies, and 
in Central Africa and the Sudan. And in many places Chris- 
tianity has won thousands of the primitive people and com- 
pletely transformed their life.,. There seems to be no resist- 
ing power when once the battle is joined. Man naturally 
craves a God he can trust, who is interested in him and 
cares about his welfare. When such a God is presented, the 
sway of the old malignant spirits and demons ceases. 

But this is not the whole story. It is not so difficult to 
bow animism out of the front door, but before long, dressed 
in a slightly different garb, it comes around to the back door, 
always finds its way into the house, and usually remains. It 
seems perfectly willing to travel incognito. It enjoys just 
about as much power, even though the house where it lives 
is in the possession of another owner. The Burmans have 
been Buddhists for hundreds of years, and all Burma is 
studded with the pagodas of an orthodox faith, but when- 
ever a Burmese gets into trouble, he has recourse to the nats, 
the old spirits of Burma in pre-Buddhist days. The Christian 
Church overcame the paganism of the Roman Empire, but 
the old spirits and gods who had been dispossessed came back 
in the form of saint worship; they had new names, but to the 
people who had been pagan it was the same thing in another 
garb. It gave them the same old satisfaction in the same 
old way. 

Have we entirely escaped in our Protestantism? What 
does it mean that there are many who are afraid to sit down 
thirteen at a table, who still "knock wood," who do not 
want to begin anything on Friday, who are afraid of Room 
13, so that our hotels cannot have the number, who carry 
luck pennies and like to have a horseshoe over the door? 
These are but remnants of an animism long left behind, but 

13 



[I-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

still active as an influence and at times as a real power. We 
are not so far away from the savage after all. We have 
many beliefs and practices which are not worthy of our 
civilization and our religious profession. A little houseclean- 
ing might not be amiss before we point the finger of scorn 
at the "poor benighted" animist in far-away New Guinea and 
Borneo. 

Suggestions for Thought and Discussion 

9. 

I. The Place of Fear in Religion 

Distinguish between the kinds of fear men have. What 
is the difference in the effect on life between these different 
kinds of fear? What is it that can turn one kind of fear 
into another? What is meant when a man is spoken of as 
God-fearing? 

II. Animism — What Is It? 

What is the difference in intellectual outlook between 
an American college student and an animist? What would 
stand in the way of the college student becoming an ani- 
mist? 

III. The Religion of Animists 

What leads an animist to worship his gods? Why would 
a spring be worshiped, or a dark cave, or an oak tree, or 
a mountain? What would lead to the worship of the small- 
pox demon? What effect on life would such worship be 
likely to have? 

IV. Magic and Religion 

What is the difference between the two? What differ- 
ence can we see which an animist cannot? What magical 
practices are to- be found in our own home communities? 
Why do people practice them, or believe in them? What 
influence do they have? 

(For a view of animistic religion in its actual working, 
an excellent volume is "The Living Christ and Dying 
Heathenism," by Johann Warneck.) 

14 



CHAPTER II 

WHO IS MY BROTHER? 

The question, Who is my brother? stares every Hindu in 
the face. For more than two millenniums Hindus have tried 
to imagine that the question was settled, and settled forever. 
The attempts on the part of reformers to make it an issue 
have done little more than irritate them. The caste system 
through all the centuries has remained intact. To the Hindus 
their brothers are only those who are fortunate enough to be 
born into their own limited circle, and that is all there is to 
be said. Yet it is the burning question in India today. On its 
solution depends the future of the teeming millions who now 
call themselves Hindus. The readings which follow are 
passages chosen to throw light on the problem of brotherhood 
from the standpoint of the Bible. 

Daily Readings 

First Day : The Jews have always been an exclusive race. 
They have held themselves aloof from others, and despite 
persecutions and humiliations almost without parallel have 
considered themselves superior to their compatriots in every 
land. They consider themselves a select people, in God's 
special favor. Hosea expresses it most tenderly : 'When Israel 
was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of 
Egypt" (II : I). 

What impression would probably be created among a people 
by the habitual reading of such passages as this? 

Praise Jehovah, O Jerusalem; 

Praise thy God, O Zion. ... 

He showeth his word unto Jacob, 

His statutes and his ordinances unto Israel. 

He hath not dealt so with any nation. 

Psalm 147 : 12, 19, 20. 

15 



[II-2] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

Second Day : This unwarranted exclusiveness was their 
undoing so far as God's purpose was concerned. They 
wrapped themselves about with their mantle of smug satis- 
faction and became more and more bigoted and narrow. We 
have in the story of Jonah a sermon in parable directed 
against this narrowness. Jonah typifies Israel in not desiring 
to go to a despised city like Nineveh with a message from 
God. When, however, he did go and preach, we are told "the 
people of Nineveh believed God" and repented. Now read 
the sequel : 

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was 
angry. And he prayed unto Jehovah, and said, I pray 
thee, O Jehovah, was not this my saying, when I was 
yet in my country? Therefore I hasted to flee unto 
Tarshish ; for I knew that thou art a gracious God, 
and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving- 
kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. Therefore 
now, O Jehovah, take, I beseech thee, my life from 
me; for it is better for me to die than to live. And 
Jehovah said, Doest thou well to be angry? . . . 
Should not I have regard for Nineveh, that great 
city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons 
that cannot discern between their right hand and 
their left hand; and also much cattle? — Jonah 4: 
1-4, II. 

What definition of brotherhood do you think Jonah must 
have had? What can you gather as to the definition of the 
writer of the sermon story? 

Third Day: Paul was a member of this same race. Few 
in his day had carried their devotion further. Yet what is 
his attitude? 

If any other man thinketh to have confidence in 
the flesh, I yet more: circumcised the eighth day, of 
the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a He- 
brew of Hebrews ; as touching the law, a Pharisee ; 
as touching zeal, persecuting the church; as touching 

16 



WHO IS MY BROTHER? [II-4] 

the righteousness which is in the law, found blame- 
less. Howbeit what things are gain to me, these have 
I counted loss for Christ. — Phil. 3 : 4-7. 

What is it that had made the change? This new loyalty 
to Jesus Christ had made a profound difference in all his 
relationships. He had put his pride of race behind his devo- 
tion to Christ, and lo, it ceased to be pride at all. How would 
our attitude toward despised people be affected if we should 
become deeply interested in them? 

Fourth Day: This new attitude on Paul's part influenced 
his theory as well as his practice. Not only was he a brother 
in fact, but it became impossible for him to look on his own 
people in the same selfish way as before. 

And he made of one every nation of men to dwell 
on all the face of the earth. — Acts 17 : 26. 

With all this he did not cease to feel that his own race was 
in a unique position with a unique mission to fulfil. 

I could wish that I myself were anathema from 
Christ for my brethren's sake, my kinsmen according 
to the flesh : who are Israelites ; whose is the adop- 
tion, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving 
of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; 
whose are the fathers, and of whom is Christ as con- 
cerning the flesh, who is over all, God blessed for 
ever. Amen. — Rom. 9 : 3-5. 

Is patriotism then unjustifiable? Must patriotism mean 
exclusiveness and a sense of haughty superiority? What 
attitude should a patriot have toward alien peoples? 

Fifth Day: Peter had a much harder time than Paul to 
be true to the spirit of his Master. 

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I resisted him 
to the face, because he stood condemned. For before 

17 



[II-6] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

that certain came from James, he ate with the Gen- 
tiles ; but when they came, he drew back and separ- 
ated himself, fearing them that were of the circumci- 
sion. — Gal. 2:11, 12. 

Yet this same Peter wins his victory over Jewish narrow- 
ness and is able to write to a Christian church, whose mem- 
bership was Gentile as well as Jewish, such words as these : 

But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy 
nation, a people for God's own possession, that ye 
may show forth the excellencies of him who called 
you out of darkness into his marvellous light: who 
in time past were no people, but now are the people 
of God. — I Peter 2:9-10. 

Try to put yourself in Peter's place and realize what it 
meant for this Jew to call Gentiles ''the people of God.'^ 
What are your prejudices? Is Peter's new experience to be 
yours ? 

Sixth Day : Jesus' life is full of illustrations of liberality 
and broadmindedness. He sat down and talked with a de- 
spised Samaritan woman. More than that, he made to her 
one of the most significant revelations of the wideness and 
universality of His kingdom to be found anywhere in the 
gospels ! 

Jesus saith unto her. Woman, believe me, the hour 
Cometh, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jeru- 
salem, shall ye worship the Father. . . , The hour 
Cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall 
worship the Father in spirit and truth : for such doth 
the Father seek to be his worshippers. — John 4: 21, 23. 

There are no bounds to such a Kingdom. All are brethren 
who come to their common Father in spirit and in truth. 

Seventh Day : 

And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, 
trying him: Teacher, which is the great command- 

18 



WHO IS MY BROTHER? [lis] 

ment in the law? And he said unto him, Thou shalt 
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with 
all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the great 
and first commandment. And a second like unto it is 
this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On 
these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and 
the prophets. — Matt. 22 : 35-40. 

What then does it mean to be a brother? What is the 
measure of our obligation? What relation does brotherhood 
have to our relation with God? 

There is a picture in the Revelation of the consummation 
of all things. It is really a rapture, in praise of Jesus Christ, 
our Lord. But notice the inclusiveness of the list of those 
who have been redeemed. Where do they come from? Who 
are to be our brothers in the great Kingdom of Jesus Christ? 

And they sing a new song, saying. Worthy art thou 
to take the book, and to open the seals thereof : for 
thou wast slain, and didst purchase unto God with 
thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, 
and nation, and madest them to be unto our God a 
kingdom and priests ; and they reign upon the earth. 
—Rev. 5 : 9, 10. 

Study for the Week 



Of all lands India is the land of religion. Many things 
can be said of this strange land, but the first and the last 
thing is that India is religious. In what other country have 
priests always been placed ahead of soldiers and statesmen? 
In what other country have famous kings been remembered 
because of their connection with religion? Her literature 
from top to bottom has been the literature of religion. More 
than in any other country in the world the people are com- 
pelled to be religious from the cradle to the grave, which, by 
the way, is a most happy use of language since they have 
neither cradles nor graves ! To change their religion means 

19 



[II-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

in a real sense to change their whole life. Let us go then 
to this God-intoxicated people and seek to discover what 
religion means to them. 

II 

Our first impression will surely be one of confusion. In- 
dian religious life is a labyrinth, a tropical jungle of tangled 
beliefs and forms. There is a perfect babel of sounds. 
There are Buddhists in Burma and Bengal, Animists in the 
hills and jungles, Parsees in the west, Jains scattered here 
and there, Jews, Christians, the largest group of Moham- 
medans in the world, and finally Hindus, the most important 
and by far the most numerous body of religionists in the 
country. 

We are now to study Hinduism, whose numbers were given 
as 214,570,000 by the last census (1911). But when we open 
the door and step in we do not know which way to go — 
there are so many paths. Hinduism is a maze whose intricacy 
no one has been able to reduce to any kind of order. Various 
statements may be made about Hinduism, all of which are 
true and which at the same time are in glaring contradiction 
with each other. Then how can there be anything called 
Hinduism, representing a real unity, when nothing can be 
asserted of belief, conduct, or worship on which there can 
be any agreement? 

The question which arises is serious. What is Hinduism 
then, if a man can do as he pleases and believe what he likes 
and still be considered orthodox? We must be prepared for 
a strange revelation. Hindu orthodoxy is not one of belief 
or conduct or religious ceremonial ; it is an orthodoxy of con- 
formity, conformity to custom. Hinduism is primarily a 
form of social organization, known as caste. This is the great 
fact confronting one in India. Caste determines everything 
in the life of the individual and of society. It is the one 
bond which binds all these people together into what may be 
called a unity, for they all believe in it and cling to it with a 
death-like grip. At the same time caste is the most divisive 

20 



WHO IS MY BROTHER? [II-s] 

element in their life, for each caste is a kind of water-tight 
compartment exclusive to the last degree. 



Ill 

Caste means that a man must conform to a rigid code in 
respect of marriage, food, occupation, and residence. Of 
these regulations those governing marriage are the most 
important. One must not marry outside his own caste, or, 
as in many cases, his sub-caste. When it is remembered that 
everyone in India marries, that to be an old bachelor or an 
old maid is a disgrace, it is quite evident that there must be 
some difficulty in making matches in strict conformity to 
these rules. Particularly would this be true if match-making 
were unduly delayed. This led many centuries ago to the 
marriage of mere children, and all attempts to modify the 
system have been fought with great bitterness by the people, 
almost without exception. The law of child marriage is thus 
stated in the earliest Hindu law book, the Code of Manu, 
"A girl should be given in marriage before puberty.'^ 

With high child mortality as it exists in India, this system 
involves the constant presence in the country of an enormous 
number of widows, 26,000,000 and more, according to the last 
census. A large number of these are mere children, little 
girls in many cases not yet in their teens. These girls and 
women are not allowed to remarry. By a strange and ter- 
rible perversion woman is looked down upon in India; she 
is a kind of inevitable evil which must be borne. Compelled 
to live in the home of her deceased husband, the widow has 
been a slave and a drudge. Of all women her lot is most 
miserable. The theory is that, being married, she is bound 
to her husband forever. If he sickens or dies she is held 
responsible, so that it is not unjust to treat her as one guilty 
of crime. It has been considered meritorious for her to 
ascend her husband's funeral pyre and be burned to death 
with his body. An old text puts it thus, "If a woman's hus- 
band dies, let her lead a life of chastity, or else mount his 

21 



[II-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

pyre." The British government has happily put a stop to this 
inhuman practice, but even yet a case of suttee, as it is called, 
comes to light occasionally, showing how deeply ingrained 
the old custom is. This is what caste has meant for woman. 
It is needless to say that man labors under no such restric- 
tions. He may marry other women, even during the lifetime 
of his first wife. 

No matter how loosely the other caste regulations may rest 
on an intelligent Hindu, he is like adamant regarding mar- 
riage. But caste does mean more to him than this. He is 
not to eat with men of other castes. He carries this out to 
the letter in many cases and insists, according to the old 
formulas, that his food be prepared by one of his own caste. 
He cannot always be sure of this, but the more scrupulous 
he is the farther he goes into all the details of the regulations. 
Certain castes have been given over so long to certain occu- 
pations that to be a member of that caste means following 
that occupation. It is against caste regulations for a Hindu 
to leave the sacred soil of India, the land of the gods. So 
technically every Hindu who travels abroad or goes to 
Europe or America for his education breaks caste, but this 
has become so common that it is winked at calmly. 

IV 

Caste cannot be accounted for completely, even by those 
who have studied it most deeply. Even so simple a fact as 
the exact number of castes is not known. There are so many 
subdivisions, conditions differ so greatly in different parts 
of the country, and caste lines are being so altered that 
much uncertainty exists. 

The Hindus were early roughly divided into four classes. 
First came the priests, called Brahmins, then the warriors, 
called Kshatriyas, then the farmers, the Vaisyas. Under- 
neath and not considered worthy to associate with the others, 
were the Sudras, the menial laborers, who were probably 
Aryans with aboriginal blood, or even pure Dravidians, as 

22 



WHO IS MY BROTHER? [lis] 

the old inhabitants are called. The system of caste started 
then with these four classes. The key to the whole system 
has always been the Brahmin. He early made himself in- 
dispensable to the life of the people, and then made his posi- 
tion all the more secure by the imposition of the caste sys- 
tem. So long as this condition exists, he is in the place of 
supreme influence and honor. 

When the Aryan ancestors of the Hindus first came into 
India, the father was the priest of the family. Each head 
of a family was considered competent to conduct the whole 
ritual of sacrifice without help from any outsider. But great 
changes gradually crept in. Worship consisted largely of 
sacrifice and its attendant ritual. More and more the con- 
viction grew that the efficacy of a sacrifice consisted in the 
correctness of the ritual. The sincerity of a man's intentions, 
and the quality of his life had nothing to do with the ac- 
ceptability of his worship to the gods. 

As the importance of sacrifice and ritual grew in the minds 
of the people, the burden of mastering the details of a 
growingly elaborate worship naturally increased greatly. A 
man busy with the cares of life, with a family to support, 
sim.ply could not take the time to become expert and exact in 
matters connected with sacrifice and ritual. He must turn 
them over to the priesjtly class, who undertook to conduct all 
the sacrifices in exact accordance with the regulations. The 
priestly class soon came to dominate the whole life of the 
people, who were helpless and in the hands of men who held 
the keys of life and death, and were determined to maintain 
their control. 

The Brahmin came to be regarded as a god among men. 
**Verily, there are two kinds of gods, for indeed the gods are 
the gods ; and the Brahmans who have studied and teach 
sacred lore are the human gods." Not all the Brahmins 
today devote themselves to the sacred calling, but by virtue 
of his caste every Brahmin is sacred and inviolable. Whether 
he be a rich merchant, a trusted civil servant of the govern- 
ment, or a poor beggar on the streets, he is holy and revered. 

23 



[II-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

No bondage has ever been so complete or unquestioned as 
that of the Brahmin priesthood. 

The leadership of the Brahmins was based on real ability. 
As a class they have always been superior to all others in 
intelligence and learning. They guarded the sacred books, 
which had come down out of the past, with jealous care, not 
allowing the profane lips of the lesser castes to utter the 
sacred texts. They protected the purity of their blood more 
successfully than did others, and preserved with religious 
care the old traditions of their people. They have been the 
priests, the writers, the poets, the philosophers of India from 
the beginning, with few to offer effective resistance. No 
wonder they moulded India according to their own will, and 
today stand as a bulwark against all attempts to change the 
current of Indian life. A Brahmin may be abreast of all 
the learning of the west, he may be a graduate of Oxford 
or Cambridge, but as a leader of his people he still stands for 
child marriage, the enforced celibacy of widows, and all the 
superstitions of the ages — a strange paradox, to be sure, and 
exceedingly difficult to be patient with, when millions of our 
fellow beings now in the clutches of a debasing superstition 
might be liberated by the magic influence of so powerful a 
priesthood. 



Some good things may be said about caste. In many cases 
it acts like a trade guild or a labor union in our country. It 
looks after its own members and prevents suffering and want 
in times of scarcity or famine. A man feels he has friends 
who can be counted upon. A real solidarity is thus attained, 
which tends toward stability and its consequent well-being. 
But when all has been said in its favor, the count against 
caste is overwhelming. In our time it is the chief obstacle 
in the way of Indian nationalism. Not patriotism but loyalty 
to caste is the Hindus' supreme obligation. Many Hindus 
recognize it and bemoan the condition, but the fact is, believe 
in it or not, they all conform. All the reformers of the past 

24 



WHO IS MY BROTHER? [II-s] 

and present have in one way or another planted themselves 
against the stream, only to be swept aside by the irresistible 
current. With all that can be said against caste, nothing 
more unanswerable has ever been charged than this, that it 
makes impossible unity and brotherhood among the Indian 
peoples. *'Who is my brother?'' asks a Hindu. "Only those 
in my own caste," comes the inevitable answer. He is 
despised by those of higher caste, while he in turn holds all 
those below him in like contempt. And when it comes to the 
50,000,000 outcastes in India, the poor miserable dregs of the 
population, even their touch is polluting. Yes, more than 
this, even their shadow falling on the food which has been 
prepared for a high caste man contaminates it so that it must 
be thrown out. 

The splendid opportunity which the priestly class possessed 
was used, it would seem, primarily to increase their own 
power and render the people more hopelessly dependent upon 
them. The pitiable condition of India today must be laid in 
large measure at the door of these misguided leaders. Se- 
cure in their own power, they have allowed the people to 
remain in abject ignorance. Claiming to be inherently better 
than any other class, they have bound even more firmly the 
bonds of caste upon the whole land. The rest of the people 
have taken their cue from them and are consequently split 
and divided up into innumerable exclusive communities, 
incapable of united action. The India of today, with its de- 
sire after new life and independence, finds the way blocked 
by caste. With no true unity, no real sense of brotherhood, 
no mutual sympathy, India is paying the price of her age- 
long subservience to a proud, priestly class, whose ideal was 
not service but self-aggrandizement. The old question, who 
is my brother? is clamorously asking to be answered anew, 
and not until the answer given is based on the rights of 
man as man and on the equality whicl;i comes through Jesus 
Christ, the Son of man, can India hope to take her place 
among the nations which are warring and struggling to make 
sure the day of true democracy. 

25 



[II-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

Suggestions for Thought and Discussion 

I. What Brotherhood Is 

Give the best definition you can of brotherhood. What 
is the most convincing test of brotherhood? How could 
a man who understands only a strange language find out 
what you meant by brotherhood? 

II. Caste and Brotherhood 

What led the Indian people in the beginning to form 
castes? Were they justified? Do we have castes or a 
caste system in this country? Are we justified? 

III. The Brahmins and the Community 

What do the Hindus owe to the Brahmins? What is the 
net result in the whole community of their dominance? 
What responsibilities accompany intellectual and moral 
power? Have we any Brahmins in our civilization? What 
are the distinguishing marks? What steps must we take to 
fulfil the American promise of complete intellectual de- 
mocracy ? 

("A Primer of Hinduism," by J. N. Farquhar, is an ex- 
cellent handbook to use in connection with this and the fol- 
lowing chapters.) 



26 



i 



CHAPTER HI 

LIKE GODS, LIKE PEOPLE 

Every religion has its definitions of purity and cleanness. 
Physical, ceremonial, moral, and spiritual purity are but dif- 
ferent sides of the question, What does it mean to be clean? 
India furnishes answers of all kinds. An outline study of 
the meaning of these terms in the Bible will serve not only as 
a basis of comparison between Hinduism and our own reli- 
gion, but will clarify our minds as to what really is pure and 
impure in the life we live and in the people around us. 

Daily Readings 

First Day: The ideas entertained by the early Hebrews 
as to what was clean and unclean were rooted in traditions 
extending much farther back than their existence as a separate 
people. All peoples in the savage state have very distinct 
ideas on the subject. A most useful service was rendered by 
these strict prohibitions : they kept ahve in men's minds the 
fact that there was a distinction between clean and unclean. 

The book of Leviticus is the great repository of the cere- 
monial laws of the Hebrews. As an illustration of its rules 
and regulations read the following: 

And Jehovah spake unto Moses and to Aaron, say- 
ing unto them. Speak unto the children of Israel, 
saying. These are the living things which ye may eat 
among all the beasts that are on the earth. Whatso- 
ever parteth the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and chew- 
eth the cud, among the beasts, that may ye eat. . . . 
And the swine, because he parteth the hoof, and is 
cloven-footed, but cheweth not the cud, he is unclean 
unto you. Of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their 

27 



[III-2] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

carcasses ye shall not touch; they are unclean unto 
you.— Lev. ii : 1-3, 7, 8. 

We eat pork today — why do you think it was excluded 
from the diet of the Jew? If you cannot answer the ques- 
tion, remember at least one thing, that the Jew felt very 
deeply that he would be morally contaminated by eating it. 

Second Day : These strict laws resulted in separating the 
Hebrew people from their neighbors. They were not allowed 
to do what they saw others do. 

Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all 
mine ordinances, and do them; that the land, whither 
I bring you to dwell therein, vomit you not out. And 
ye shall not walk in the customs of the nation, which 
I cast out before you : for they did all these things, 
and therefore I abhorred them. . . . And ye shall 
be holj^ unto me : for I, Jehovah, am holy, and have 
set you apart from the peoples, that ye should be 
mine. — Lev. 20 : 22, 22,, 26. 

Is there any wonder they felt themselves to be a chosen 
people, separate and distinct from the nations around them? 
"Gentile" and "unclean" became almost synonymous, and the 
fact is, they did have in their law and traditions what others 
lacked and sorely needed. If the attitude they took was 
right, on what basis could it be justified? What did the 
distinction between clean and unclean have to do with it? 

Third Day : We must not think all the laws on which the 
distinction between pure and impure was made were cere- 
monial laws. This would be to discredit the legal sections of 
the Old Testament and hide their chief glory. A clean man 
was one who not only obeyed the restrictions as to food, 
touching carcasses, etc., but was morally uncontaminated. 

Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 
Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image. . . . 
-Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God 
in vain. ... 

28 



LIKE GODS, LIKE PEOPLE [III-4] 

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. . . . 

Honor thy father and thy mother. . . . 

Thou shalt not kill. 

Thou shalt not commit adultery. 

Thou shalt not steal. 

Thou shalt not bear false witness. . . . 

Thou shalt not covet. — Exodus 20: 3-17. 

Yet the tendency to emphasize the ceremonial over the 
moral became a characteristic tendency among the leaders of 
the people. To be clean was very frequently to observe the 
ceremonial and to neglect the more important moral re- 
quirements. 

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! 
for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have 
left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, 
and mercy, and faith : but these ye ought to have 
done, and not to have left the other undone. Ye 
blind guides, that strain out the gnat, and swallow 
the camel ! — Matt. 22^ : 23-24. 

Fourth Day : In two important respects Jesus introduced 
revolutionary ideas into the conception of clean and unclean. 
Keeping in mind the regulations from Leviticus in the read- 
ing for the First Day, read Jesus' word about the same 
thing : 

There is nothing from without the man, that going 
into him can defile him ; but the things which proceed 
out of the man are those that defile the man. ... 
For from within, out of the heart of men, evil 
thoughts proceed, fornications, thefts, murders, adul- 
teries, covetings, wickednesses, deceit, lasciviousness, 
an evil eye, railing, pride, foolishness : all these evil 
things proceed from within, and defile the man. — 
Mark 7: 15, 21-23. 

If you had been a strict follower of the Levitical code, 
what difference would it have made in actual conduct to be- 
come a follower of Jesus? 

29 



[III-5] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

Jesus went further than this even. He revolutionized our 

whole idea of what morality itself is. A clean man is not 

only one whose outward acts are above reproach, but one 
whose thoughts and motives are pure. 

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! 
for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which out- 
wardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of 
dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so 
ye also outwardly appear righteeous unto men, but 
inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. — 
Matt. 22, : 27, 28. 

Blessed are the pure in heart : for they shall see 
God. . . . 

Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time. 
Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be 
in danger of the judgment: but I say unto you, that 
every one who is angry with his brother shall be in 
danger of the judgment. . . . 

Ye have heard that it was said. Thou shalt not com- 
mit adultery : but I say unto you, that every one that 
looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed 
adultery with her already in his heart. — Matt. 5 : 8, 
21, 22, 2y, 28. 

Could anything be more scathing or searching? What now 
is your definition of purity? 

Fifth Day : Jesus was altogether consistent in his attitude. 
No man was unclean in his estimation because of any out- 
ward circumstances whatsoever. The ceremonial was en- 
tirely subordinated to the moral. ''Blessed are the pure in 
heart," are his words. The Pharisee in proud disdain mar- 
velled at the company he kept. 

And it came to pass, that he was sitting at meat 
in his house, and many publicans and sinners sat 
down with Jesus and his disciples : for there were 
many, and they followed him. And the scribes of 
the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with 
the sinners and publicans, said unto his disciples, 

30 



LIKE GODS, LIKE PEOPLE [111-6] 

How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans 
and sinners? And when Jesus heard it, he saith 
unto them, They that are whole have no need of a 
physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call 
the righteous, but sinners. — Mark 2:15-17. 

In everything formal and external these classes were far 
inferior to Jesus' critics. What indication does this give us 
of the standard of Jesus' estimate of men? 

Sixth Day : Jesus' conception was so exalted that it was 
not easy to learn. Peter had an experience which opened his 
eyes to the wonder -of the new teaching about cleanness and 
uncleanness. Recalling the story of Peter's vision, we can 
hear him saying, 

I was in the city of Joppa praying : and in a trance 
I saw a vision, a certain vessel descending, as it were 
a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners ; 
and it came even unto me : upon which when I had 
fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw the four- 
footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creep- 
ing things and birds of the heaven. And I heard also 
a voice saying unto me. Rise, Peter ; kill and eat. 
But I said. Not so, Lord : for nothing common or 
unclean hath ever entered into my mouth. But a 
voice answered the second time out of heaven, What 
God hath cleansed, make not thou common. — Acts 
11:5-9. 

The account states that when Peter went to Caesarea his 
first words were, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no 
respecter of persons : but in every nation he that feareth him, 
and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to him." (Acts 
10:34-35.) 

Seventh Day: Paul tells us he learned what sin was by 
that commandment which said, "Thou shalt not covet" (see 
Rom. 7: 7-11). It was the only commandment which was 
a prohibition of an inner desire; all the others had to do with 

31 



[III-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

conduct, with outward acts. He found those not difficult to 
obey, but he went to pieces at this point — he could not con- 
trol his desires. He never forgot the lesson that cleanness 
is first a matter of the inner life and that all else is secondary. 

But food will not commend us to God: neither, if 
we eat not, are we the worse; nor, if we eat, are we 
the better.— I Cor. 8 : 8. 

I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that 
nothing is unclean of itself : save that to him who 
accounteth anything to be unclean, to him it is un- 
clean. — Rom. 14 : 14. 

To the pure all things are pure : but to them that 
are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but both 
their mind and their conscience are defiled. — Titus 
1:15. 

Remember in thinking about these verses that Paul was 
most scrupulous about his conduct; what he is emphasiz- 
ing is that nothing which God has made is impure in itself. 
All uncleanness is man-made and comes from the abuse of 
what God made pure and good. 

Study for the Week 



The statement was made in the last study that orthodoxy 
in Hinduism is conformity to caste regulations, and that be- 
yond this anything might go. This is very far, however, 
from saying that a Hindu is indifferent to questions of belief 
and worship. He takes these things very seriously and 
looks upon them as indispensable. The strange thing is, there 
is every kind of belief and every kind of worship. Nothing 
is too extravagant or outlandish to be included in the theology 
and ritual and even the ethical code of Hinduism. There is 
no limit to its powers of assimilation. The one reason why 
Jesus Christ is not enumerated among the gods of Hinduism 
is that there is something in Christ Himself which seems in- 
evitably to defy such an appropriation. The attitude toward 

32 



LIKE GODS, LIKE PEOPLE [III-s] 

Jesus Christ which the Hindu objects to most strenuously 
and cannot understand is that expressed by Peter to the 
rulers of the Jews, when he said, "And in none other is there 
salvation : for neither is there any other name under heaven, 
that is given among men, wherein we must be saved" (Acts 
4:12). 

Hinduism is so broad that almost any way of salvation 
will do. So long as the man is devoted to his gods, it makes 
little difference what kind of gods they are. And in Hindu- 
ism we have every kind, representing every degree of moral 
attainment and even moral failure. The individual Hindu may 
view all the gods and all the methods of worship in the land 
as legitimate, yet at the same time he has his own particular 
gods arud ceremonies to which he devotes his attention. In 
general a man believes what has been handed down to him, 
and here the traditions of his family are most influential. 

II 

Looking over Hinduism broadly today the people are seen 
to be adherents of one or the other of two great sects, the 
worshipers of Siva and the worshipers of Vishnu. 

The worship of Siva is found principally in the South of 
India. The Sivites, as they are called, worship not only the 
great and terrible Siva himself, but his wives, among whom 
the best known are probably Kali and Durga. Ganesa, the 
son of Siva, the elephant-headed god of wisdom, is very 
widely revered and worshiped. Where Siva himself is wor- 
shiped, no images or idols are to be found, the ever present 
phallus, the emblem of the sect, being the chief symbol and 
object of worship. Kali is represented in her temples as a 
devilish woman hungry for blood, with her tongue hanging 
over her breast and with her feet planted on the body of her 
husband, whom she has just killed. She holds the head of 
her dead spouse in one of her numerous hands, and is 
rendered the more repulsive by a necklace of skulls and a 
hideous face. Kali is the only prominent divinity of India 
who demands bloody sacrifices. At regular periods her 

33 



[III-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

tongue is spattered with the blood of calves and goats to 
appease her thirst for blood. 

Siva and his wives represent in part the stern, cruel, de- 
structive forces in the world. Why anyone should be led 
to worship such deities is hard for us to understand. It can- 
not be doubted, however, that in each of us there are ele- 
ments of the tragic, and that the dreadful has a strange 
fascination for us. Had we been brought up where the cruel 
forces of nature seemed to be able to vent themselves against 
us, then might we not hope to be better off if we offered them 
worship and devotion? It would not fill us with hope and 
joy, but it might seem the only thing we could do. At any 
rate, whatever may be the explanation, millions of our fellow 
beings are doing just this thing. What effect can worship 
of such gods have upon these whose horizon has no place 
for nobler, truer conceptions of divinity? To say the least, 
there can be little to lift life out of its dreary fears and set 
it on its way rejoicing in joy and peace. 

Ill 

<« 

The worshipers of Vishnu are to be found principally in 
the North. Vishnu is worshiped not so much in his own per- 
son as in that of his various incarnations. The most famous 
of these are Rama and Krishna, the latter being worshiped 
in all probability more than any other of the gods of India. 
The idea of incarnation has just been mentioned. Not found 
in the worship of Siva, it is one of the leading conceptions 
among the Vaishnavas, as the worshipers of Vishnu are 
called. Krishna is Vishnu in the flesh, to borrow a Christian 
term. He was a man and lived a human life like Jesus, yet 
how unlike Jesus ! Whatever good might come from the 
clear revelation of a god in human form, it is vitiated by 
the career and character of Krishna himself. The story of 
the human-divine warrior in the great epic, the Mahabarata, 
and elsewhere pictures him as falling in love with an end- 
less succession of shepherd maidens and begetting children 
by the thousands. No purity, no high ideals of home life, 

34 



LIKE GODS, LIKE PEOPLE [III-s] 

no conception of an ennobling relation between men and 
women mark his earthly life. What must be the thoughts 
suggested to the minds of those who read the ancient poem 
and worship at his shrine? 

A further factor must be taken into consideration. The 
new element in worship is called Bhakti, which means devo- 
tion to the god, a kind of faith or trust in Krishna. A wor- 
shiper is not compelled to consider himself as estranged 
from an angry, far-away deity. He may pour out his soul 
to his god in adoration and devotion, and feel sure there is 
a response. All this is a movement in the right direction, 
just as is true with the idea of incarnation. The trouble with 
the whole thing is that the god who is worshiped and 
to whom men are asked to devote themselves is unworthy 
of the best, even in man himself. And when it is realized 
that men tend to become like the objects of their worship, 
the seriousness of the situation in India is apparent. 

Together with Siva and Vishnu, and forming a kind of 
trinity, is the figure of Brahma. He is looked upon as an 
exalted, personal creator, a kind of necessary background 
to all things. He has one temple, and little worship is 
directed to him, but he is there as a conception, a necessity 
to the Hindu mind as it looks out into the great unknown. 
The significant question is, how do the Hindus really look 
on their gods? Here we get very far down into the depths 
of the Hindu soul. He has never been able to get away 
from the haunting suggestion that the gods are not the 
most important thing after all. This tendency has ex- 
pressed itself in various ways. The people tend to neglect 
the gods even while they worship them. They have raised 
the priesthood and sacrifices and prayer, the various elements 
of worship, to a place of such importance that these have 
seemed in reality more necessary than the gods themselves. 
It does not make so much difference what god is worshiped, 
provided it is done correctly! Could anything be stranger? 
But India is strange, so we must not be surprised at any- 
thing. 

35 



[III-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

IV 

This same feeling that there is something back of the 
gods and more important than they has another and even 
more significant expression. Away back in the beginnings 
in the Rigveda many gods are mentioned and praised. To 
read any one of these hymns, to Agni say or Varuna, one 
might conclude that it was written by a monotheist, that this 
one god filled his horizon and was the sole object of his 
adoration. But to our amazement the same attitude is as- 
sumed toward another and still another of these mighty 
beings. This attitude, however, seems to have been only a 
stepping-stone. The Hindu could not remain long at this 
halfway house. Before long these various gods were looked 
upon as manifestations of some being or power back of them 
all. The Hindu was reaching out after a unity, and the 
wonderful thing is, he found it. Over and above and in all 
things, constituting and comprehending them all, was Brahma, 
or Brahman. You say this is pantheism, and so it is, the most 
extreme form of that doctrine ever held by any large group 
of men. Of course it was elaborated by the learned Brahmin 
at the top, but in no country has a philosophical theory pene- 
trated so deeply the whole life of a people as in India. 
Whether they realize it or not, the people of India are bound 
by the fatalism and pessimism of the doctrine of their lead- 
ers. The sense of the unreality of what is seen by the eye 
and felt by the hand is abroad in the land — a kind of world- 
weariness ; a far-away, wistful look is in the eye, as though 
men would escape from the bondage of the physical and ma- 
terial and fly away to their real home in the unseen beyond. 

Brahma is all the reality there is. Nothing else exists at all, 
not one single thing. Then how does it come that we our- 
selves seem to be real beings, and that trees and houses exist? 
All this is Maya, illusion. We are completely mistaken, 
sadly misguided by our senses. It comes about then that the 
great object in life is to get rid of this illusion, to realize 
that nothing exists except Brahma. We are to carry this con- 



LIKE GODS, LIKE PEOPLE [III-s] 

ception to the extreme limit, until we can enter fully into the 
meaning of the thought that we are Brahma and that Brahma 
is ourselves, and that there is nothing else in the universe. 
This has led to the practice of meditation and all kinds of 
austerities to induce a kind of self-hypnosis, all with the aim 
of ending the illusion and losing ourselves in Brahma. 

The outlook is hopeless. About all we can expect in this 
life or stage of existence is to make a little progress. What 
we have to look forward to is an almost endless series of 
transmigrations, during the weary course of which we shall 
be born into other forms, some higher, but alas ! some per- 
haps far lower. All this is determined by the action of 
Karma, the law by which we inevitably reap the fruit of our 
present actions in the next life, and so on until — what? Until 
in the end our illusion is completely dissipated and we ar- 
rive at our goal — but such a goal! It is to drop back into 
the nothingness of Brahma out of which we came. As a 
matter of fact, all Hindus, whatever else they may hold, be- 
lieve in transmigration and in the effects of the law of 
Karma. This theory hangs like a pall over the fair land of 
India. There is scarcely the slightest flicker of hope; ac- 
tivity and endeavor are frustrated by the fatal working of 
Karma, and there can be little or no development of per- 
sonality. How could there be, when personality is denied in 
the Brahma into which we sink back, when our misspent 
existence finishes its miserable tale? 



V 

All the significant acts in the life of a Hindu are con- 
nected with religion. There are certain domestic ceremonies, 
the observance of which "is absolutely binding on every 
man who wishes to remain a Hindu.*' There is the cere- 
mony of "name-giving" and that of "food-giving" in baby- 
hood, which are usually observed together. The ceremony 
of initiation is highly important. It is a boy's introduction to 
his religious training. Sacred texts are muttered over him 

37 



[III-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

by a Brahmin priest and he is invested with the sacred 
thread, which is placed over his shoulder. He is born into 
a new life, hence all those really belonging to the Hindu 
community are known as the "twice-born." The last essential 
ceremony for the young man is marriage, which becomes 
doubly significant in view of the stringency of caste rules. 
Even to the end of his life he feels bound by caste regula- 
tions. 

Then there is ancestor worship. The bodies of the dead 
are burned in India, the ceremony being carried out by low 
caste men, because everything connected with death is inaus- 
picious and even polluting. For ten days funeral ceremonies 
are conducted, the most characteristic feature of which being 
the offering of a ball of cooked rice to the spirit of the de- 
parted. On the eleventh day an elaborate ceremony is ob- 
served. For the first year this ceremony is repeated each 
month, and after that time the ceremonies become annual 
affairs. 

The worship of the gods takes many forms. As Mr. 
Farquhar classifies them, we have "(i) Daily prayers, con- 
nected with bathing and teeth-cleaning, and daily sacrifices. 
. . . (2) The daily worship of the household gods. . . . 
(3) The recurrent festivals, fasts, and holydays. . . . (4) 
The worship of the temple. This takes a large place in the 
lives of all Hindus except modern educated men, who very 
seldom go near a temple at all, at least in the North." 

The religious life is stimulated by the great festivals or 
melas, held periodically at well known centers, like Puri and 
Benares and Allahabad. Here the people gather in thousands, 
some traveling long distances in their religious devotion. 
They are frequently attended by devotees, who in fulfilment 
of a vow have measured the whole distance in the dust and 
dirt with their bodies. Here also are to be found the "holy 
men" of India, the fakirs, who by various forms of self- 
torture are seeking to please their divinities — that is, when 
they are sincere, for among them are many who are true 
fakirs in the American county-fair sense, seeking to win 

38 



LIKE GODS, LIKE PEOPLE [III-s] 

shekels by a show of devotion and suffering. Great crowds 
gather at Benares and there in the holiest city of India bathe 
in the sacred waters of the Ganges. Cleansing ^s what they 
want, but how can cleansing be found in dirty offal-laden 
water ? 

All these popular manifestations of religion are looked at 
askance and even with scorn by the educated, cultured Hindu. 
He considers them childish and meaningless. He pities the 
poor, benighted crowd which gives itself to this form of re- 
ligious expression. Yet with all this he is a Hindu. He 
observes caste rules and is enamored of the wonderful past 
of his country and its religious literature. He claims to be 
in the true line of succession with the sages of old, only he 
has risen to the place where gross manifestations, such as the 
crowd takes delight in, mean nothing to him. He pities them 
all and will have nothing to do with their worship. Yet he 
considers himself a member of the same community and is 
extremely sensitive to any movement away from the ancient 
landmarks. 

VI 

And is this all, even in outline? By no means. "With the 
exception of the cultured few, the whole people live in terror 
of evil spirits." They are hemmed in by superstitious fears 
on every side. How disconcerting it is to read, after our dis- 
cussion of the beliefs and worships of India, that ninety-five 
per cent of the Hindus are demon worshipers ! Of course 
this is alongside the worship of the other divinities, but what 
confusion! There is nothing these people, particularly the 
simpler people in the villages, do not worship, literally 
nothing. They are ignorant and full of fear, they turn to all 
the gods and spirits they hear about. The pathos of their 
condition stirs the heart. India is god-intoxicated or god- 
hungry, which? The masses of the Hindus are in deplor- 
able ignorance, and subject to all kinds of superstitious fears. 
Does it not indicate a lack of fundamental strength in the 
Hindu system when after thousands of years such failures 

39 



[III-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

mark its path? Something might be said if real improve- 
ment could be discovered. The contrary is the case — never 
was Hinduism less able than today to accomplish moral and 
spiritual regeneration among the people of India. 



VII 

One of the best evidences of the statement just made is 
the prevalent religious unrest in India today, and various at- 
tempts are being made to render Hinduism fit to meet the 
changing conditions of the new age. More than a score 
of recent attempts have been made to put life into the decrepit 
body of Hinduism. There are reactionary movements seek- 
ing by devotion and enthusiasm to make the old forms pulse 
with life again. One of the most significant of these is that 
led by Mrs. Besant, an Englishwoman who lives in Benares 
and has founded the Central Hindu College, where Hinduism 
is taught and extolled in its entirety. Mrs. Besant does not 
stop at anything. She accepts all there is in Hinduism, and 
seeks to show that every element, lofty and degrading, is a 
real element of an ideal religion. Discredited though she may 
be in the estimation of many, she has a great hold. Hindus 
are flattered by such praise as this brilliant woman pours on 
all things Indian, and look on her as a defender of their faith. 

But the modern spirit and modern ideas cannot be kept 
out, and we find movements, like that of the Arya Samaj, 
which are passionately loyal to Hinduism but seek to intro- 
duce reforms. Child marriage is prohibited and under cer- 
tain conditions widows are allowed to remarry. But with 
these good regulations are to be found others most repulsive 
to our moral sense. Thus to a bitter hatred of Christianity 
is added a smattering of reform, which does not go to the 
fundamental defects of the Hindu system at all. But the 
Samaj has grown and the latest figures give a membership 
of 243,000. 

From one viewpoint then we see the ancient faiths mak- 
ing the strongest efforts to retain their old position of 

40 



LIKE GODS, LIKE PEOPLE [III-s] 

dominance over the life of India. *'But there is another 
aspect of the situation which requires to be clearly realized. 
The triumphant revival of the old religions, with their grow- 
ing bodyguard of defence organizations, has been accompanied 
by continuous and steadily increasing inner decay/' 

The Hindu mind has also tried to find some half-way stop- 
ping place between Hinduism and Christianity. The most not- 
able attempt in this direction is the Brahmo Samaj. Founded 
nearly a century ago by a remarkable Hindu, named Ram 
Mohan Roy, it has attracted the allegiance of a small but 
influential group of cultured men, and is still a force in India. 
To this group belongs the well-known Bengali poet and 
lecturer, Rabindranath Tagore, whose recent visit to this 
country attracted so much attention. Influenced far more 
by the Christian spirit than in many cases they are aware, 
these men have discarded all the crude and idolatrous feat- 
ures of Hinduism and seek to exemplify the best ethical 
principles of Jesus and other great religious leaders. But 
halfway houses in religious history have always been built 
to accommodate too few people, and the Brahmo Samaj, with 
its little handful of members, is a striking illustration of the 
futility of attempting to mix Christianity with what is alien 
to its genius and in the end to make a convincing appeal to 
the human heart. 

The air is full of expectancy. India has already been deeply 
moved by Christianity. With all the many movements and 
counter-movements, one thing we may be sure of — India will 
remain intensely religious. The old forms still have tre- 
mendous hold, but India is asking questions, and this shows 
she is not content. Have we anything which will help her to 
a solution more satisfying? What is it? 

Suggestions for Thought and Discussion 
I. Ceremonial and Moral Cleanness 

Can a man be clean outwardly and not inwardly? Now 
turn it around, can a man be clean inwardly and not out- 

41 



[III-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

wardly? But what about life in the trenches? State as 
nearly as possible the ideal relation between outward and 
inward cleanness. 

II. Gods and Their Worship 

Distinguish between the worship of Siva and that of 
Vishnu. Which is the higher form of worship? Why? 
What would prevent either form from being compared 
favorably with Christianity? 

III. > Philosophy and Life 

What is there about the prevailing philosophy in India 
which fosters a pessimistic outlook on life? How general 
is this pessimism? What kind of a philosophy or theory 
of life is needed to give moral energy and a joyful opti- 
mism to these people? Where can such an outlook on life 
be found? 

IV. The Changing Situation 

What has changed the situation in India so that men are 
no longer quite satisfied with the old theories? What is 
being done by the Hindus to meet the situation? Have 
these attempts the promise of success in them? Give rea- 
sons for 'your answer. 



42 



CHAPTER IV 

VANITY OF VANITIES, ALL IS VANITY 

Buddhism is the subject of study for this and the next 
week. For a Buddhist, "all the constituents of life are mis- 
ery," to use a phrase taken from the sacred literature. Life, 
then, is not worth living. What is the Christian attitude 
toward life? What is its meaning? What makes it worth 
living? These and other questions are bound to arise in 
contrast to the negations of Buddhism. What backing have 
we in our Scriptures*for a hopeful, optimistic view of life? 

Daily Readings 

First Day : The book of Ecclesiastes has, in a number of 
its features, the ring of Buddhism. A surfeit of pleasures 
has resulted in disgust. Life seems meaningless and full of 
vanity. This is so much like the attitude of the typical Bud- 
dhist Sutta (a collection of wise sayings) that it may be well 
for us to start just there. 

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of 
vanities, all is vanity. What profit hath man of all 
his labor wherein he laboreth under the sun? . . . 
All things are full of weariness ; man cannot utter it : 
the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled 
with hearing. — Feci. 1:2, 3, 8. 

A "world weariness" had seized this man and nothing 
seemed bright or cheerful. Not even is there any hope in 
the future. Life is simply not worth living. But for us there 
is something else, and that is to ask how a man could manage 
to get into such a fix. 

Second Day: We must try to find out the cause of such 
deep-dyed pessimism. We have not far to go. In the chapter 

43 



[IV-3] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

immediately following ample cause is given, enough to drive 
the stoutest heart into a cynical, blase attitude toward every- 
thing. 

I was great, and increased more than all that were 
before me in Jerusalem : also my wisdom remained 
with me. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept 
not from them; I withheld not my heart from any 
joy; for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor; 
and this was my portion from all my labor. Then I 
looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, 
and on the labor that I had labored to do ; and, be- 
hold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and 
there was no profit under the sun. — Eccl. 2:9-11. 

No wonder he was glutted with pleasure. "And whatso- 
ever mine eyes desired I kept not frorti-them; I withheld not 
my heart from any joy" (v. 10). We need go no further; 
here is all the explanation we need. Run over in your mind 
the names of any who are more or less like this man. How 
can you account for it? With what kind of a life do cynicism 
and pessimism go? Has selfishness any connection with it? 

Third Day: But what shall we say of life? How can we 
be true to all the facts? What must our attitude be in view 
of all the ugly and evil things, as well as of the fine, encour- 
aging things around us everywhere? The first chapter of 
Genesis may give us a lift. Seven times it is said that what 
God created was good. It is a universe with goodness at 
the heart of it. 

And God saw everything that he had made, and, 
behold, it was very good. — Gen. i : 31. 

When all was complete and God had looked at it, ''behold, 
it was very good." In this word-picture of a great poet, life 
and all the activities involved in living are altogether worth 
while. Is there any reason today to change that verdict? 

Fourth Day : How are we to preserve an attitude of hope- 
fulness and good cheer? Following the path of natural in- 

44 



VANITY OF VANITIES [IV-5] 

clination without restraint will bring anyone out just where 
the "Preacher" in Ecclesiastes found himself. Paul knew 
that and paints a picture of the contest of the two natures 
within man most vividly. 

I find then the law, that, to me who would do good, 
evil is present. For I delight in the law of God after 
the inward man : but I see a different law in my mem- 
bers, warring against the law of my mind, and bring- 
ing me into captivity under the law of sin which is 
in my members. Wretched man that I am ! who shall 
deliver me out of the body of this death? — Rom. 
7 : 21-24. 

There is no other way out of it, we must take sides in this 
conflict. If there were no hope of victory, there would be 
good grounds for discouragement. 

Paul found, however, that he was not to remain a slave. 
He knew what victory meant and lived with the assurance 
that all things work together for good to them that love God. 
(Rom. 8: 28). Recall his classic statement of this great optim- 
istic truth. 

For they that are after the flesh mind the things of 
the flesh ; but they that are after the Spirit the things 
of the Spirit. For the mind of the flesh is death ; but 
the mind of the Spirit is life and peace. . . . But 
if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the 
dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus 
from, the dead shall give life also to your mortal 
bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you. — 
Rom. 8:5, 6, II. 

Fifth Day: The human body, which is to the Buddhist 
an object of loathing, is honored greatly in Christianity. 
A sane view is taken of all bodily functions. In one discus- 
sion of the diversity of spiritual gifts, Paul uses the human 
body as an illustration of his meaning; He thus indirectly 
testifies to the honor to be given the body by followers of 
Jesus Christ. 

45 



[IV-6] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

But now hath God set the members each one of 
them in the body, even as it pleased him. And if they 
were all one member, where were the body? But 
now they are many members, but one body. And the 
eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee : 
or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 
. . . And whether one member suffereth, all the 
members suffer with it; or one member is honored, 
all the members rejoice with it. — I Cor. 12: 18-21, 26. 

The highest honor of all is that our bodies are looked upon 
as temples, that is, sacred and inviolable. After speaking of 
the base uses of the body which are. to be shunned, Paul 
makes this statement: 

Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the 
Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from 
God? and ye are ;iot your own; for ye were bought 
with a price : glorify God therefore in your body. — 
I Cor. 6 : 19, 20. 

Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that 
the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man de- 
stroyeth the temple of God, him shall God destroy; 
for the temple of God is holy, and such are ye. — 
I Cor. 3 : 16, 17. 

Sixth Day: Family life, the relationship between husband 
and wife, which a Buddhist must repudiate to make any per- 
ceptible progress in religion, is most sacred and holy in Chris- 
tianity. In the epistle to the Ephesians Paul uses tliis rela- 
tion as analogous to that existing between Christ and his 
Church. Could any higher honor be imagined? 

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also 
loved the church, and gave himself up for it; that he 
might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing 
of water with the word, that he might present the 
church to himself a glorious church, not having spot 
or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be 
holy and without blemish. — Eph. 5 : 25-27. 

46 



VANITY OF VANITIES [IV-7] 

Christianity has emancipated woman by placing her on 
an equality with her husband in the life of the family. This 
one result, produced wherever Jesus Christ is honored, has 
been the most wholesome single social product of Christian- 
ity. It has- made possible the building up of a unique insti- 
tution, the home, which is known only where the influence of 
our religion has reached. 

Seventh Day: Life is very different because Jesus Christ 
lived. He became one like us. His daily life was in no 
sense ascetic. He lived a normal life among men, and sym- 
pathized with them in all their joys and sorrows. He worked 
hard in the carpenter shop as a young man. His life of public 
service was most strenuous, but in it all He shows a zest for 
living. He loved childhood and its innocence. He was never 
too busy to give some attention to children. 

And they were bringing unto him little children, 
that he should touch them : and the disciples rebuked 
them. But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with in- 
dignation, and said unto them, Suffer the little chil- 
dren to come unto me; forbid them not: for to such 
belongeth the kingdom of God. . . . And he took 
them in his arms, and blessed them, laying his hands 
upon them. — Mark 10 : 13, 14, 16. 

His whole healing ministry and His feeding of hungry 
people are windows into Jesus' soul, showing the sympathy 
He had with men and women and their joys and sorrows. The 
picture we get of His attendance at the marriage at Cana puts 
the seal of His approval upon the merrymaking of a wedding 
feast. 

We sum up Jesus* whole attitude by those words of His 
recorded by John, "I came that they may have life, and may 
have it abundantly" (John 10: 10). 

Study for the Week 

I 

It is a far cry from Japan to India, but the entire distance 

47 



[IV-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

between these lands is covered by the rehgion known as Budd- 
hism. Korea, China, Tibet, Manchuria, and Mongolia hear 
the sound of the yellow-robed monks as they beg their bread 
and drone out their prayers at the stated periods each day. 
To the south of the great barrier of mountain and jungle 
which separates these northern peoples from those of 
Southern Asia, Buddhism is also to be found. The form is 
somewhat different, but the faith of the great Buddha is the 
established religion. Beginning with French Indo-China, 
Siam and Burma reach entirely across the most eastern of 
the three peninsulas which Asia sends out into the southern 
ocean, and here the tinkling of the temple bells is always 
heard and the graceful pagodas greet the eye at every turn. 
One other land must be mentioned to complete the circuit 
and that is the entrancing island of Ceylon, far to the south, 
where the whole history of the people is little more than the 
history of Buddhism on the island, and where today the 
religion is to be found in as pure a form as in any Buddhist 
land. 

But what about India? That is the great surprise. The 
land of the Buddha himself, where he lived and taught and 
died, the sacred land to which pilgrimages are still devoutly 
made, has no followers of the Buddha ! All these statements 
are true ; yet Buddhism as a religion in India is dead. It is 
gone, gone we may believe never to return, swallowed by 
the Hinduism which once it seemed almost on the point of 
driving out of the country. 

With all the differences and contradictions between Budd- 
hist sects and Buddhism in different countries, the beginning 
of the whole movement is in the life and character of a man 
who lived in North India in the latter part of the sixth and 
the earlier years of the fifth century B. C. Gautama Buddha 
was the son of a petty prince of an Aryan tribe, dwelling 
under the shadows of the great Himalaya range. Very little 
is known of his life until he was about twenty-nine years old. 

48 



VANITY OF VANITIES [IV-s] 

There is much legendary material, but few facts to mark the 
years of early manhood. He grew up like most young men 
similarly situated, is reputed to have been brave and strong 
and to have excelled in manly sports. He was married and 
became the proud father of a son. 

One tradition, if any truth can be placed in it at all, shows 
him to have been of a thoughtful, meditative cast of mind, 
but this was nothing uncommon in the India of that day. 
He is said to have seen in turn an old decrepit man, a man 
lying by the roadside ill and covered with loathsome sores, a 
corpse already some time dead and decayed, and last of all a 
mendicant monk. All these intensified his growing conviction 
that human life was full of woe, that no good thing could be 
counted on to last, and that the best thing to do was to 
desert the world and become a religious wanderer. At any 
rate, when he was about twenty-nine years of age, he tore 
himself loose from his home and became a mendicant, ex- 
changing his princely robes for the rags of a penniless way- 
farer. The birth of his son seemed to have been a last straw 
for young Gautama, his heart being so strongly drawn out 
to the little fellow that he felt he must make the "great re- 
nunciation" now or never be able to make it at all. 

In all this Gautama was a typical Hindu. There v/ould 
have been no Buddhism had this step been all. Whenever 
a man in India felt the tug of the unseen in his soul, the only 
thing he thought of doing was just what this young man 
did — leave his home, renounce all relationships, and become 
a wanderer or a solitary hermit. For five or six years he 
lived this life, at first going from teacher to teacher, recluses 
like himself, to find peace and satisfaction for his soul. None 
was able to lead him out into freedom and enlightenment. He 
then gave himself to a most extravagant asceticism. So far 
did he carry his penances that he became the center of a little 
group which naturally offered him the palm of excellence. 
He became so emaciated that nothing seemed left but skin 
and bones. He all but robbed himself of life itself. When he 
fell over in a swoon, his band of faithful followers thought 

49 



[IV-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

him dead and wondered at the fortitude which they could not 
attain. 

When finally he recovered consciousness, a great convic- 
tion was born in his mind, that no satisfaction could be had 
by any amount of self-mortification. Had he not tried it, 
and gone to the farthest bound in his experiment? And was 
he not quite as far from the goal of his desires as he was 
when he began? He had left his home because his heart 
craved what could not be secured there; he now renounced 
asceticism as being quite as futile. His decision so disgusted 
his erstwhile admirers that they turned their back on him 
with scorn. He had surrendered to a lower ideal, they 
thought. They little knew then what was surging through 
the mind of their hero of a few days before. 

In turning away from asceticism, Gautama declared that 
he would travel the "middle path" between luxury on one 
side and asceticism on the other. Neither of these had given 
him satisfaction, so he would eschew both. This was surely 
wholesome. He believed that a man ought to live a normal 
life, keeping his body in good trim, and living as long as 
possible a healthy, robust life. Had he only carried this 
theory into all the relationships of life, incalculable good 
would have come to the millions of Asia. But he stopped 
short, and by the institution of an order of monks condemned 
multitudes of eager religious souls to a life of mendicancy 
and unproductivity, and by insisting on celibacy for all earn- 
est minded seekers after religion struck a severe blow at the 
home and the position of woman in it. 

Gautama had settled conclusively several very important 
things, but they were purely negative. His empty soul was 
still craving an answer to its questioning, and he must persist 
until he find it. He was plunged into a dreadful mental and 
moral conflict, which is described most vividly and realistic- 
ally in Buddhist literature. He was torn by the suggestion 
to give it all up and go back to his home and its joys and 
responsibilities. Troops of demons sought to seduce him, 
but he remained steadfast. He had started out to find his 

50 



VANITY OF VANITIES [IV-s] 

heart's desire and he would allow nothing to stand in his 
way. 

One morning he sat down under the now famous and sacred 
Bo tree, or tree of wisdom, to eat the meal which had been 
given him by a villager's daughter. Here he remained all 
day ; here he had the last battle with his lower nature ; and 
as the day sank to rest his victory was won. Doubts which 
had assailed him so long now departed, and their place was 
taken by ^ the peace for which he had thirsted these many 
years. He had now become the Buddha, which means the 
"Enlightened." He had grasped the meaning of life and 
its sorrow, and could cure it ! 

Any one who could do that would surely have a gospel to 
which men and women would respond. What was his secret ; 
what his cure? On what did his peace rest? The Buddha's 
discovery was that rest and peace could be had by self- 
mastery, by the suppression of our desires. This is to be 
brought about by self-discipline and self-control. He had 
already proved that no benefit was to be derived from pen- 
ances and vigils, and he had turned away from the teachers 
of his time with a feeling of their utter inadequacy. And 
now, with sublime self-confidence and assurance, he pro- 
pounds a new means of salvation. It is to be attained solely 
by one's own efforts ; it is literally .y^//-conquest. We shall 
see a little later the completeness of his sweep, how thorough- 
going his assertion that with not a particle of help from the 
outside each man for himself was to work out his "own sal- 
vation with fear and trembling." Would that he might have 
added with Paul, "For it is God who worketh in you both to 
will and to work, for his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:12, 13); 
but of course that would not be Buddhism. The Buddha's 
word was "Each man is his own helper; there is none other 
to help him." 

There was another side to his victory under the Bo tree. 
When the new truth had dawned upon him the temptation 
came to go off alone, and in solitude bask in the sunlight of 
his new attainment. This temptation he repudiated and went 

51 



[IV-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

at once to Benares and was able to win back the five disciples 
who had abandoned him a short time before. He declared 
his purpose to "turn the wheel of the excellent law," that is, 
"to set rolling the royal chariot-wheel of a universal empire 
of truth and righteousness." 

Gautama the Buddha was now about thirty-five years old. 
Beginning at once his travels, he spent the next forty-five 
years journeying back and forth in Northern India proclaim- 
ing his message and winning converts on every side. During 
the wet season he and his disciples would remain in one place, 
he giving instruction, answering questions, and expounding 
more fully his theory of life. As soon as the dry season came 
he was afoot again in his work of love and sympathy, cease- 
lessly carrying his message to great and small, and exemplify- 
ing his teaching in his own life and practice. He continued 
his instruction until the very end, reiterating the essential 
points of his system with great care and elaborateness. 
Then passed out of the world one of the purest and noblest 
of the sons of men. Few can compare with him, only one or 
two can surpass him. All honor to one who lived so purely 
and bravely and left so fragrant a memory for all future gen- 
erations ! 

HI 

The life of Gautama Buddha was singularly simple and his 
character without dissimulation and guile. His teaching, how- 
ever, was subtle and intricate. Not that there were not simple 
aphorisms and moral rules which the humblest layman could 
understand, but that the slightest movement toward an under- 
standing of his doctrine involves one in the closest philo- 
sophical and psychological thinking. We must try to under- 
stand what are called the "Three Fundamental Signs." The 
first one of these truths or "Signs" may be stated in the lan- 
guage of the sacred literature, "All the constituents of life 
are impermanent," which means that everything in the uni- 
verse is changing. There is nothing stable ; all is in flux. This 
sounds very much like our theory of evolution or "the 

52 



VANITY OF VANITIES [IV-s] 

philosophy of change" of the French philosopher, Henri 
Bergson, and it is like it. This is one of the remarkable 
things about early Buddhism, that it seems in many features 
so closely in accord with modern thought. 

Now, the Buddha carried this theory of change to the 
farthest bounds. Nothing was to be excluded, absolutely 
nothing. He did not go to the length of saying there were 
no gods, but what if there were? The gods are bound fast 
to the wheel of change as much as any other beings. They are 
gods now, but they might become less than a human being — 
a crawling snake or a maggot — in their transmigrations. So 
man was left entirely to his own resources. With no god 
above there could be no prayer and worship, and this is the 
fact in this strange religion. The best that man can do is to 
study himself and, learning from the examples of others, 
start out on the path of attainment as best he may. It is a 
cheerless, hopeless path, we say, and Buddhists have said so 
too. The theories of the Buddha are too high for men and 
women out in the world amid the trials and difficulties of life. 

There are few Buddhists today who hold to what the 
Buddha taught. The reason is easy to find. He was attempt- 
ing to do the impossible. That fundamental craving of all 
men for a god to love and worship, for one whom they can 
trust, to whom they can pray, and who loves them, cannot 
be eradicated. Even in Burma and Ceylon, where the doc- 
trine has remained purer than in the north, the cult of the 
Buddha and his relics is to be found in full bloom every- 
where. The Buddha who repudiated all gods and any sense 
of dependence on them is worshiped and addressed in prayer 
himself ! Could there be any stronger testimony to the impos- 
sibility of imposing a system which runs counter to this crav- 
ing of the human heart after God? 



IV 

The second of the "Signs" is stated thus, "All the con- 
stituents of life are full of misery." This sounds like pes- 

53 



[IV-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

simism run mad. To live is to be unhappy. This is literally 
what the Buddha meant. His study of human nature led 
the Buddha to see that life is dominated by desire. Men 
want things ; it is this that makes life go. But this same desire 
or thirst is the very thing which makes men miserable. Eaten 
up by this craving for more, whatever it may be— pleasure, 
gain, honor, length of days — man is made the more discon- 
tented by the very desire he feeds upon. Is not this just as 
true today and among ourselves as in India so long ago? No 
wonder the Buddha is looked upon as one of the greatest 
psychologists the world has ever known. 

So far was this attitude carried that nothing in life seemed 
worth while; it was all a vain show. The monks were taught 
to look with loathing on the human body, to consider one 
after another all the nauseating things which could be 
enumerated about it, the idea being to inculcate disgust and 
a real desire to get away from it and what it stood for. Here 
is a quotation taken from one of the sacred books — there are 
many others. 

"This body is a nest of loathly sores ; 

A dank and slippery skin doth wrap it round; 
And from a thousand thousand oozing pores 

It sendeth out its stenches, like an open wound." 



Buddhism has always had a low idea of woman. She is a 
kind of stumbling block to man. He can never proceed far 
in the way of attainment in her company. In his depreciation 
of life Buddha put a ban on marriage and held that it was 
entirely foreign to spiritual attainment. One of the old writ- 
ings contains this stanza: 

"With handmaidens and jewels rare, 
Of womankind surpassing fair. 
Our little boy upon her arm. 
My wife came, seeking me. 

54 



VANITY OF VANITIES [IV-s] 

But I, of evil lures aware, 
Beheld in her a subtle snare, 

Designed to do me deadly harm, 

Disguised by Mara's treachery! 
Such bonds have lost their hold on me. 
They chain him not whose mind is free." 

Clinging to life is what brings misery. Then let go, cease 
desiring, and all will be well. This is to be accomplished by 
following what was called the Noble Eightfold Path — right 
belief, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right live- 
lihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right contemplation. 
Those who had passed through all these stages were called 
Arhats. 

This "path" was far better than any men knew of in India 
at that time. There was attached to the system an abound- 
ing love of men. The Buddha exemplified it, and his early 
followers were ardent missionaries. They felt they had made 
a discovery and that they owed it to men far and near to 
proclaim it. And again, their great Teacher had been very 
insistent on the acceptance of a rigorous moral code. All 
who called themselves Buddhists were to obey five precepts — 
not to destroy life, not to steal, not to tell lies, not to drink 
intoxicating liquors, and not to be unchaste. These sound 
something like our Ten Commandments. They were most 
wholesome and have been like a sheet-anchor to the Buddhist 
community. 

So then, while the attitude toward life was primarily 
pessimistic, there was a real optimism in early Buddhism. 
These early monks felt they had really learned the secret of 
doing away with misery. There is a pathos in the songs 
composed describing the joy which came into the lives of 
these men and women released from the chains of discontent 
and anxiety. Yes, women too, for after much persuasion, the 
Buddha ^t last and very reluctantly founded an order of 
women mendicants — nuns we would call them. The pathos 
lies in the fact that to us they seemed to have so little. Even 

55 



[IV-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

this little soon ran out. Not for centuries have men been 
able to claim that they have reached the end desired. There 
are no true Arhats today, nor in the memory of living men. 
The enthusiasm was comparatively short-lived and has long 
since disappeared. 



And now the third of the "Signs," "All the constituents 
of being are without a soul." In some ways this is the most 
startling declaration of early Buddhism. There is no self or 
soul to anything. The Buddha himself laid great stress on 
this point; it was central for him. Try to think how the 
Buddha could hold fast a belief in the transmigration of 
souls when there was no soul to transmigrate. What he 
claimed was that each new birth, the rise of a new individ- 
ual, was literally a new creation, if we may use that term, 
with this added factor, that this new individual inherited the 
Karma of that individual which had preceded him in the 
series in which he formed one link. He was just what he 
was because of what all the others who had preceded him 
were, and the one who came after him would be what he had 
added to the net result of the lives of all who had gone be- 
fore. How long was this process to go on? Until some one 
should arise, join the Buddhist order, travel the noble Eight- 
fold Path, becorne an Arhat, and thus crush all desire out of 
his life. Then his Karma would be used up and no more 
individuals would be born — the series would come to an end. 

According to this scheme there could be no immortality. 
Each individual simply ceased to be when his life ended. He 
did not have a self at all, so when the bodily and mental 
elements which made up his life dissolved he ceased to be, 
"and that was the end of it.'' Should any individual be 
fortunate enough to become an Arhat he would thereby and 
at once enter Nirvana, even while still alive. Nirvana is a 
condition of perfect peace and calm, unruffled by any cling- 
ing after life and any of its relationships. The Arhat has 
risen sublimely above all these things and has perfect equa- 

^6 



VANITY OF VANITIES [IV-s] 

nimity and poise. His only desire is for what he now enjoys 
and to see others enter into his experience, but all craving 
and discontent are gone and gone forever. When at last he 
dies he enters complete Nirvana, which is, so far as we can 
make out, little better than annihilation or extinction. Since 
he never was a self or a soul, there can be nothing to be 
alive when body and mind dissolve into nothingness. 

Suggestions for Thought and Discussion 

I. Is Life Worth Living f 

« 

What makes life worth living? What is the cause when 
a man becomes disgusted with life and sees no good in it? 
How can one be an optimist when he is crippled or has 
lost his fortune, for neither of which he is responsible? 
What effect does unselfish service have on one's outlook on 
life? 

n. The Life of the Buddha 

Try to explain what led the Buddha to leave home and 
renounce his heritage. In what did his enlightenment con- 
sist? What effect would a man preaching such a gospel 
have upon an audience today? Why would the effect be so 
different? 

HI. His Teaching 

What is the most striking difference between the Buddhist 
theories and our own? What effect on life is most signifi- 
cant? Compare the moral teaching of the Buddha with 
the Ten Commandments ; with the teaching of Jesus. What 
do you consider the chief defect in the system of the 
Buddha? 

(For this and the next chapter a very useful volume is 
that by K. J. Saunders entitled "The Story of Buddhism.") 



57 



CHAPTER V 

THE WHEEL OF THE EXCELLENT LAW 

The Buddha declared his purpose "to set rolling the royal 
chariot-wheel of a universal empire of truth and righteous- 
ness." This week we are to travel from country to country 
in Asia to investigate what the "Excellent Law" has done in 
these lands where the poorly clad, shaven-headed monks 
carried the message of their master. We shall doubtless be 
amazed to find how changed the religion has become in its 
travels. The Buddha essayed to found a religion with no 
gods and no worship. Now "gods many and lords many" 
are worshiped with elaborate ceremonial in the lands where 
Buddhism has been carried. This has led to the choice of 
worship as the subject of our Bible readings at the beginning 
of this study. 

Daily Readings 

First Day : The Bible takes worship for granted. The 
thought never seems to have occurred to any one of the 
writers in either the Old or New Testament that men should 
not pray and offer sacrifices to God. 

And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a 
tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came 
to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground 
an offering unto Jehovah. And Abel, he also brought 
of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. — 
Gen. 4 : 2-4. 

The author assumes the existence of altars, and of the 
custom of sacrifice, without giving any account of their origin. 
At the close of the story of Noah and the Ark we find these 
interesting verses: 

58 



THE EXCELLENT LAW [V-2] 

And Noah builded an altar unto Jehovah, and took 
of every clean beast, and of every clean bird, and 
offered burnt-offerings on the altar. And Jehovah 
smelled the sweet savor; and Jehovah said in his 
heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for 
man's sake. — Gen. 8: 20^ 21. 

How simple and naive the conception that God should be 
pleased with the sweet smell of the burnt offerings ! The 
point to be made is that in the days of his simplicity man 
turned to God in worship. This is the testimony not only of 
the Bible but of all the archeological findings and the sacred 
literatures of the world. Do you think we shall ever be able 
to eradicate a tendency so deeply implanted in human nature? 

Second Day: Abraham was a very religious man. He has 
been called the Friend of God and the Father of the Faith- 
ful. As soon as he had reached the land of promise he per- 
formed a religious act. 

And he removed from thence unto the mountain 
on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having 
Beth-el on the west, and Ai on the east : and there he 
builded an altar unto Jehovah, and called upon the 
name of Jehovah. — Gen. 12 : 8. 

The great test of Abraham's faith came late in life when 
he was commanded to offer his son Isaac on an altar. 

And it came to pass after these things, that God 
did prove Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham ; 
and he said. Here am I. And he said, Take now thy 
son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, 
and get thee into the land of Moriah ; and offer him 
there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains 
which I will tell thee of. — Gen. 22 : i, 2. 

Back of this lesson of obedience and faith is the historical 
fact that human sacrifice was known in Abraham's day and 
that with the testing of his faith came the setting aside of 

59 



[V-3] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

this horrid custom. We find then how God leads His people 
out of crude conceptions of Himself and of what pleases 
Him. 

Third Day: 

Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor 
any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or 
that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water 
under the earth : thou shalt not bow down thyself 
unto them, nor serve them ; for I Jehovah thy God 
am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers 
upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth 
generation of them that hate me, and showing loving- 
kindness unto thousands of them that love me and 
keep my commandments. — Exodus 20: 4-6. 

In the long second commandment, which was such a terror 
for us to learn exactly before we reached our teens, wor- 
ship again is taken for granted, only the Hebrews were told 
not to worship images. Their God was a jealous God who 
alone must be worshiped. He desired the entire devotion 
of His people ; He expected them to worship Him and not be 
led into the devious paths of idolatry. 

Does it strike you as strange that the same Ten Com- 
mandments which warn against sins of robbery, adultery, 
and murder should include a command relative to worship? 
Is there any connection between high moral living and wor- 
ship? Is it safe, to say the least, for a man to give up prayer 
and the service of God's house? 

Fourth Day: The Psalms are full of the spirit of praise 
and worship. Try to enter into the spirit of these men whose 
words we read today. 

How amiable are thy tabernacles, 

O Jehovah of hosts ! 

My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of 

Jehovah ; 
My heart and my flesh cry out unto the living God. 

— Psalm 84: I, 2. 

60 



THE EXCELLENT LAW [V-5] 

These were the days when the Temple was in its glory. 
The external beauty of the building may be more in evidence 
than is possible with us, but even a simple, rustic church may 
have for us memories which make it a sacred place. 

Fifth Day: The danger of what is merely external in 
worship was as evident in the Old Testament days as now. 

I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no 
delight in your solemn assemblies. Yea, though ye 
offer me your burnt-offerings and meal-offerings, I 
will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace- 
offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from 
me the noise of thy songs ; for I will not hear the 
melody of thy viols. But let justice roll down as 
waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. — Amos 
5:21-24. 

What a condemnation heaped upon men who had trodden 
on the rights of the poor and had forgotten the great pre- 
cepts of the moral law, yet were impudently performing all 
the sacred offices of religious worship ! Strenuous moral 
endeavor is a necessary foundation of sincere worship. 

Toward the end of the wonderful Psalm of penitence come 
these words of a truly worshipful heart: 

O Lord, open thou my lips ; 

And my mouth shall show forth thy praise. 

For thou delightest not in sacrifice ; else would I give 

it: 
Thou hast no pleasure in burnt-offering. 
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: 
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not 

despise. — Psalm 51 : 15-17. 

The inwardness of true worship is here made very clear. 
Our worship must spring from the heart, which realizes 
what it means to be in the presence of the loving God who is 
at the same time pure and holy. 

61 



[V-6] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

Sixth Day: Jesus inherited the spirit of devotion and wor- 
ship from the Old Testament and filled it with a new mean- 
ing. Read His answer when the temptation came to win the 
kingdoms of the world by prostrating Himself and worship- 
ing the Tempter. 

Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: 
for it is written. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy 
God, and him only shalt thou serve. — Matt. 4 : 10. 

Luke gives a glimpse of Jesus' habits as a young man. 

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been 
brought up : and he entered, as his custom was, into 
the synagogue on the sabbath day. — Luke 4: 16. 

"As his custom was," He entered into the synagogue on 
the Sabbath day. Why do you suppose He made this His 
custom? Why wouldn't it have been just as helpful to stay 
away from public worship and meditate and pray alone? 

Seventh Day: Jesus inculcated worship both by precept 
and example. He was also very particular about the motives 
and the spirit of worship. 

Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one 
a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee 
stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank 
thee, that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, 
unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast 
twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I get. But 
the publican, standing afar off, would not lift so much 
as his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breast, saying, 
God, be thou merciful to me a sinner. I say unto 
you. This man went down to his house justified 
rather than the other : for every one that exalteth 
himself shall be humbled; but he that humbleth him- 
self shall be exalted. — Luke 18: 10-14. 

Of what use are prayer and fasting and tithing in a self- 

62 



THE EXCELLENT LAW [V-s] 

righteous man like that Pharisee? How could a man keep 
from prayer who is in the condition of the publican? 

Jesus has another remarkable word about the nature of 
true worship : 

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must 
worship in spirit and truth. — John 4 : 24. 

True worship is "in spirit and truth." "In spirit" means 
that it is spiritual worship, the communion of one spiritual 
being with another, the Spirit of God in touch with the spirit 
of man. Moffatt translates the other Greek word not as 
"truth" but as "reality." The true worship is sincere, the 
genuine expression of our real selves to God. Could any 
definition of worship be more searching than that contained 
in these words of Jesus? 

Study for the Week 



Japan, Korea, China, Mongolia, Tibet, Siam, Burma, and 
Ceylon — all these are Buddhist to a greater or less extent, 
but what a strange Buddhism as contrasted with that of the 
great Gautama ! He could not believe his eyes were he to 
awake and see what is being said and done in his name. 
So great is the divergence from the original teaching and so 
varied are the views and practices of Buddhism in different 
lands at the present time that the question may be seriously 
asked, what is Buddhism? What right have all these differ- 
ing and even antagonistic beliefs to the common name of the 
founder? 

All Buddhists have certain things in common. They all 
realize and are proud of the fact that the movement to which 
they belong had its earthly origin in the life and work of 
Gautama Buddha. They are inspired by the unsullied record 
of a pure, unselfish life devoted to the good of others. There 
is an intellectual and spiritual atmosphere typical of all lands 
which have been influenced by Buddhism. Asia is still 

63 



[V-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

haunted by the sense of the impermanence of all things which 
the Buddha taught. Man's sorrow in being bound fast to 
the ceaseless wheel of transmigration in accordance with the 
inexorable law of Karma is as much in evidence today as 
five hundred years before our era. A kind of world-weari- 
ness, settling down into a wistful pessimism, is an inescapable 
mark of Buddhism's presence. These are moods of the soul as 
much as definite doctrines, but they are quite as useful to us in 
putting our finger on what a religion really is as are written 
creeds and rituals. They have indelibly marked all these 
strangely variant communities as being in the true succession 
of the great founder, Gautama Buddha. 

II 

Almost immediately after his death legends began to ac- 
cumulate about the birth and personal history of the Buddha. 
He came to be regarded as ''omniscient and absolutely sin- 
less," claims which he never made for himself. Then came 
the belief that he was born of a virgin and this was ex- 
panded to include her spotlessness, too. "At the conception 
of the Buddha, thirty-two signs take place ; the 10,000 worlds 
are filled with light, the blind receive their sight, the deaf 
hear, the dumb speak, the crooked become straight, the lame 
walk, the imprisoned are set free, and so on, all nature 
blooming, and all beings in earth and heaven being filled with 
joy; while by a bold figure of speech even the fires of hell 
are extinguished, and the tortures of the damned are miti- 
gated." From the beginning to the end of the life of this 
prodigy such wonders and many more like them accompany 
his steps. 

Is there any wonder, then, that the Buddha should be 
worshiped? But could anything stranger than this com- 
plete turning of the tables be imagined? He who deprecated 
all belief in the gods and scouted any suggestion of worship, 
himself the object of worship! What the Buddha had at- 
tempted was an impossibility. " 'Never mind about the gods !' 
said Gautama. 'We cannot help minding,' replied the heart 

64 



THE EXCELLENT LAW [V-s] 

of India." Only a very limited circle during his own day 
and the years immediately following really held the doctrine 
taught by the Buddha. 

Gautama was soon said to be only one of a long series of 
Buddhas, each new Buddha having been needed to restore 
the purity of a faith well nigh lost. Twenty-four of these 
were named who had preceded Gautama, and after five 
thousand more years another was to come, Maitreya Buddha, 
the Buddha of kindness, who would restore all things — some- 
one like the Messiah of the Jews. The air began to swarm 
with spiritual beings. They were called Bodhisattvas, beings 
who in the unseen world had not arrived at complete enlight- 
enment and were postponing their final emancipation in order 
to help men here below. They, too, could be worshiped, so 
that this religion rapidly became polytheistic. And when after 
some time images were made and set up in temples. Buddhism 
became one of the most idolatrous of all the religions of 
the world. 

We can account for the changes partly by the suggestion 
already made — the natural reaction of the human spirit 
against a prayerless, godless creed, which could never satisfy 
more than a few intellectuals who had come under the magic 
influence of the Buddha's personality. But this does not 
explain all. Another cause was at work whose influence 
must have been tremendous. Within the first few centuries 
this new faith came in contact with alien peoples, some of 
whom already lived on the borders of India in the foothills 
of the Himalayas, while others were wild Mongolian tribes 
who came pouring into India from the northwest. These 
rude nomads brought with them notions which they would 
not cast aside when they embraced the religion of the mild 
and gentle Buddha. No theory of the non-existence of the 
soul could ever hold them. They were vigorous as the 
Hindus were dreamy, and this robustness influenced the 
Buddhism of all the northern countries. Nirvana, with its 
annihilation of conscious existence, held out no pleasurable 
anticipations to them. They pushed it aside and found more 

65 



[V-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

to their taste a heaven of bliss where beyond the western 
mountains they might enjoy the rewards of a virtuous life. 
And to correspond to this paradise they could find nothing 
to object to in a hell where the wicked were tortured in a 
most realistic fashion. 

Out of all the confusion occasioned by this unparalleled 
development two distinct schools of thought were at last 
evolved. Those who departed most widely from the master's 
teaching called their doctrine the Mahayana, or the Great 
Vehicle. They claimed not to be held by the narrowness of 
their more conservative brethren, who would not accept all 
the features of the newer doctrines we have just been out- 
lining. These conservatives became the type of the Buddhists 
of the south. They were called the Hinayana, or the Lesser 
Vehicle, by their northern co-reHgionists, who used this 
name as a term of reproach. 

Ill 

The Buddhism of southern Asia, the Hinayana, is to be 
found in Burma and Siam, and the beautiful Island of Ceylon. 
Buddhism has had a most interesting history in the island. 
The cult of relics soon sprang up, a collar bone of Gautama 
and one of his teeth being held in great reverence. The 
most noted temple in the island is that of the "Holy Tooth," 
which, by the way, is larger than a horse's tooth! "By dim, 
uncertain lamplight the doors of the casket are opened for 
the faithful to see it, and amid the benumbing perfume of 
countless flowers (which are brought here daily as offerings) 
the devotee kneels before it and allows his uncritical gaze to 
fall upon what may rather be imagined than actually seen." 

A sad fact is that the intellectual and moral level of the 
monks is low. There are splendid men who form an excep- 
tion to this rule, but the average monk leads an idle life, per- 
forming his religious duties in a purely perfunctory way. 
There are those who represent a reform movement, striving 
after "a purer, more inward Buddhism, one more in accord- 
ance, in many respects, with European taste." They have in- 

66 



THE EXCELLENT LAW [V-s] 

troduced preaching halls and sermons and a recitation of a 
creed. There is also a European influence seeking to bring 
about an understanding of essential, primitive Buddhism, 
from which the practice even in Ceylon has so widely de- 
parted. 

Unfortunately the ordinary man and woman has not been 
made deeply Buddhist. His religion is a matter of observ- 
ances, with much superstition mixed in. Reading the sacred 
books '*is a kind of charm which brings a blessing by the 
mere reading and hearing, even although utterly unintelli- 
gible to the hearer, and which averts illness and exorcises 
evil spirits." What really controls the inner life of the people 
is their ancient nature and demon worship. The people live 
conscious of the presence and influence of these spirits, who 
are seeking to bring evil upon them. Here in Ceylon is where 
Buddhism is found in its purest form, yet it is unable really 
to Hft the people into peace and freedom. 

In Burma much the same conditions exist, except that the 
religion has penetrated more deeply into the life of the 
people. The whole education of the people is in the hands of 
the Buddhist monks. That has given them enormous influ- 
ence and power. Further it is customary in Burma for a 
young man to devote a certain period of his youth to the 
monastic life. Everywhere the landscape is studded with 
the graceful pagodas containing relics of the Buddha and 
other holy men. "Anyone who has seen the golden pagoda 
at Rangoon shimmering in the moonlight will no longer 
wonder that Buddhism appeals to the people. Moonlight in 
Burma is almost intoxicating to the senses." Naturally happy 
and light-hearted, the Burmese have not allowed the pes- 
simism of their religion to cloud their festive occasions. 
What a paradox to see these people worship at these times 
and repeat the creed of Buddhism, "All is impermanent, all is 
suffering, all is unreal," and then belie its whole spirit and 
spend the night in merry-making! 

Their Buddhism is strangely mixed with the propitiation 
of nats, the old sprites of their pre-Buddhist native worship. 

67 



[V-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

These nats are more real to them than the Buddhas. "A 
Burman with childish inconsistency will sacrifice animals to 
the nats and drink spirits in their honor — committing the two 
worst sins in the Buddhist decalogue." They are Buddhists, 
to be sure, but what shall we say of a religion whose adher- 
ents treat so lightly the teachings of their creed? 

IV 

The Buddhism of China, Korea, and Japan is in a class by 
itself. The religion in these countries, particularly in Japan, 
has departed farther from the teaching of Gautama Buddha 
than in any other. In China Buddhism came into contact 
with the dominant Confucianism and has never been able to 
dislodge it. The chief reason why Buddhism was able to 
get any hold on the Chinese at all was that it provided, in 
its Mahayana form, a spiritual faith with worship of gods 
worthy of their adoration and a belief in a blessed immor- 
tality. 

The religion has suffered greatly from persecution in the 
course of its history. The backbone of Buddhism has always 
been the monks and the monasteries. Without these Budd- 
hism could not continue to exist. To the practical Chinese 
there is something incongruous in seeing tens and even hun- 
dreds of thousands of men and women separating them- 
selves from productive occupations and living upon the bene- 
factions of the populace. It was even more repugnant to 
Chinese feeling for these men and women to repudiate family 
life and live as celibates. Monasticism was a body blow at 
ancestor worship, which lays a duty on every man to have 
at least one son to carry on the worship of the family an- 
cestors. The ranks of the monks are recruited from children, 
some even being bought from poor people to fill up the needed 
quota. For the most part the monks lead lazy, useless lives. 

Despite all this the people come to the monks for all kinds 
of help. Buddhism promises to deliver them from the pains 
of hell. Even educated men and officials who are proud 
Confucianists and would feel humiliated to have it known, 

68 



THE EXCELLENT LAW [V-s] 

go in secret to these monks. Yet they go, not because of 
any Buddhist convictions or because they wish to be ad- 
herents of the faith, but simply because it is the only way 
they know to supply certain needs they feel in their lives. 
The only real Buddhists in China who should be counted as 
such in the census report are the monks. 

Japan is a Buddhist country and the religion is alive and 
active. Instead of meeting a resolute antagonist as it did in 
China, Buddhism swallowed Shintoism, the ancient faith of 
Japan, and all but completely assimilated it. Japanese Bud- 
dhism came from China, as we have seen, and is much like 
that of the older country. The most marked feature of the 
religion in Japan is its sectarianism. These sects are 
something like the denominations in our Protestantism. 
The earliest sects were imported from China, but Japan 
herself has developed this feature of her religious life to a 
far greater extent than China. In several of these sects we 
have the farthest departure from the teaching of the Buddha 
and of the original faith to be found anywhere. The one 
which has the largest following in the country is the Shin 
sect. It has gone the full length of declaring that salvation 
can come only by faith in Amida, the ruler of the western 
Paradise. This sounds like our doctrine of "justification by 
faith" and it is like it, with this important difference, that 
Amida is a mere figment of the imagination, while Jesus 
Christ is a historical character. This Shin sect is the pro- 
gressive sect in Japan, using western methods and being 
missionary in spirit. They have opened preaching halls and 
have services on Sundays. They conduct Sunday schools, 
have organized Young Men's Buddhist Associations, and 
issue books and periodicals from the press. 

But unfortunately the monks even in this sect are not 
highly respected. Of course there are splendid exceptions, 
but among the educated classes in Japan Buddhism is not 
in high favor. The common people are not concerned about 
philosophical Buddhism and the ancient literature. The 
idea of transmigration has taken firm hold and dominates 

69 



[V-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

their thinking. The educated who are Buddhists look down 
on the superstitious observances of the common people and 
construct their own system in harmony with modern science 
and philosophy. 

V 

What shall we say of Buddhism in a closing word? Orig- 
inal Buddhism as taught by Gautama can never become, as 
it never has been, the religion of any people. It is too subtle 
and intellectualistic for that. Then, by trying to suppress 
the instinct to worship, it ran counter to what is a necessary 
feature of the religion of all save a few cultured individuals 
at the top. This has been proved over and over again in the 
history of the religion. When we consider the form taken 
by Buddhism in Asia today, the sad fact which emerges is 
that it has failed to root out the puerile superstitions of the 
Animism which preceded it; and thus no land is truly Budd- 
hist. What must we say of a religion which after over two 
millenniums has not been able to make its own standards 
and beliefs in any complete way the belief and practice of 
any people? Do the defects lie in the religion itself or in 
abuses and misunderstandings? What is the verdict of its 
history? 

Suggestions for Thought and Discussion 

I. Religion and Worship 

Consider the relation of worship and social service. Why 
spend time in worship when so much need abounds on 
every side? What is the chief danger in worship? How 
can worship be kept vital and significant? 

II. The Buddha Is Worshiped 

How can this innovation be accounted for? Can a reli- 
gion exist without some form of worship? Give reasons 
for your answer. Get clearly in mind the difference between 
the later Buddhism and the earlier. In what ways can the 

70 



THE EXCELLENT LAW [V-s] 

Buddha be said to be the founder of both forms? Which 
one is the more adequate as a rehgion? For what reasons? 

III. Buddhism as a Present-day Force 

What is the condition of Buddhism in the various Budd- 
hist countries today? How do you account for the condi- 
tion? What is needed to make it an effective moral and 
social force? Is there hope that such a change can be 
effected? What is your reason for thinking so? 



71 



CHAPTER VI 

HONOR THY FATHER AND THY 
MOTHER 

Ancestor worship is said to be the real religion of China. 
Chinese society, even Chinese civilization as a whole, is built 
upon the foundation of the family. The Emperor, in all 
ages of Chinese history, has been looked upon as the Father 
of his people. The Christian idea of the family is a growth 
of centuries and only through the appearance of Jesus Christ 
did the noblest conception of the family and the relationship 
of members in it find a voice. Let us look at that develop- 
ment in the readings this week. 

Daily Readings 

First Day: The picture of the family presented in the Old 
Testament is badly marred. Polygamy was accepted as a 
normal relationship by everyone who could afford to sup- 
port more than one wife. Divorce was easy for a man to 
secure for any one of a number of reasons, reasons which 
the Christian conscience cannot allow today. So long as 
these wrongs continued to exist, woman could never come 
to her own. 

But even in those days there was a higher ideal. Read 
the account of the creation of woman in the second chapter 
of Genesis, remembering that it is an ideal rather than literal 
history. 

And Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon 
the man, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, 
and closed up the flesh instead thereof : and the rib, 
which Jehovah God had taken from the man, made 
he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And the 

72 



HONOR FATHER AND MOTHER {Yi-2] 

man said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh 
of my flesh : she shall be called Woman, because she 
was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave 
his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his 
wife: and they shall be one flesh. — Gen. 2:21-24. 

Do you think this ideal of marriage could be fulfilled if a 
man should have more than one wife? 

Second Day : With all the Jewish people lacked in Old 
Testament days, they were far ahead of their neighbors. 
There was a purity in the family not to be found among 
other peoples. Children were taught to obey their parents. 

Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days 
may be long in the land which Jehovah thy God 
giveth thee. — Exodus 20 : 12. 

A more detailed picture of the dutiful son is given in 
Proverbs. 

My son, keep the commandment of thy father, 
And forsake not the law of thy mother : 
Bind them continually upon thy heart; 
Tie them about thy neck. 
When thou walkest, it shall lead thee ; 
When thou sleepest, it shall watch over thee; 
And when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. — 
Prov. 6 : 20-22. 

Women were held in high honor. Beautiful pictures are 
presented of the worthy woman and her place in the family. 

A worthy woman who can find? 

For her price is far above rubies. 

The heart of her husband trusteth in her, 

And he shall have no lack of gain. 

She doeth him good and not evil 

All the days of her life. — Prov. 31 : 10-12. 

Third Day: Ascetic ideas concerning marriage cannot be 
justifiably derived from Jesus' words and attitude. Read the 

7^ 



[VI-4] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

account of the wedding at Cana, where His desire that the 
joy of the occasion should not be broken took so remarkable 
a turn. 

And the third day there was a marriage in Cana 
of Galilee ; and the mother of Jesus was there : and , 
Jesus also was bidden, and his disciples, to the mar- 
riage. And when the wine failed, the mother of 
Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. And 
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with 
thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith 
tinto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, 
do it. Now there were six waterpots of stone set 
there after the Jews' manner of purifying, contain- 
ing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto 
them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled 
them up to the brim. And he saith unto them. Draw 
•out now, and bear unto the ruler of the feast. And 
they bare it. And when the ruler of the feast tasted 
the water now become wine, and knew not whence 
it was (but the servants that had drawn the water 
knew), the ruler of the feast calleth the bridegroom, 
and saith unto him, Every man setteth on first the 
good wine ; and when men have drunk freely, then 
that which is worse : thou hast kept the good wine 
until now. — John 2: i-io. 

This simple and beautiful picture should be in the mind of 
anyone who desires to understand Jesus' whole attitude 
toward marriage and the relationships of the home. Jesus 
did not fail them. How could He, when He entered so heart- 
ily into the significance of such an occasion? 

Fourth Day : But Jesus was exceedingly severe in His 
condemnation of certain practices of His day relative to mar- 
riage. He knew quite well the passage from Deuteronomy 
on which the practice of divorce was based : 

When a man taketh a wife, and marrieth her, then 
it shall be, if she find no favor in his eyes, because he 
hath found some unseemly thing in her, that he shall 

74 



HONOR FATHER AND MOTHER [VI-5] 

write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her 
hand, and send her out of his house. And when she 
is departed out of his house, she may go and be an- 
other man's wife. — Deut. 24 : 1-2. 

Now read the words of Jesus when the Pharisees came to 
Him about this matter: 

And there came unto him Pharisees, trying him, 
and saying. Is it lawful for a man to put away his 
wife for every cause? And he answered and said, 
Have ye not read, that he who made them from the 
beginning made them male and female, and said, For 
this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, 
and shall cleave to his wife ; and the two shall be- 
come one flesh? So that they are no more two, but 
one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, 
let not man put asunder. They say unto him. Why 
then did Moses command to give a bill of divorce- 
ment, and to put her away ? He saith unto them, 
Moses for your hardness of heart suffered you to put 
away your wives : but from the beginning it hath not 
been so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put 
away his wife, except for fornication, and shall marry 
another, committeth adultery; and he that marrieth 
her when she is put away committeth adultery. — 
Matt. 19 : 3-9. 

Fifth Day: In all his dealing with the question of the 
family, Paul is attempting to apply the meaning of Jesus' 
words as to the details of family life. His position was 
immeasurably ahead of the age in which he lived. In prin- 
ciple he was entirely with his Master. The complete equality 
of all "in Christ Jesus" is most clearly stated. 

There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can 
be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and 
female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus. — 
Gal. 3:28. 

Now read the classic passage on the relation of husband 
and wife as he interprets it from a Christian viewpoint. 

75 



[VI-6] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

Wives, be in subjection unto your own husbands, as 
unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the 
wife, as Christ also is the head of the church. . . . 
But as the church is subject to Christ, so let the 
wives also be to their husbands in everything. Hus- 
bands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved 
the church, and gave himself up for it; that he might 
sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of 
water with the word, that he might present the 
church to himself a glorious church, not having spot 
or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be 
holy and without blemish. Even so ought husbands 
also to love their own wives as their own bodies. — 
Eph. 5:22-28. 

Mutual love and thoughtfulness mark the relationship, 
which is so close that Paul likens it to that between Christ 
and the Church. Can we do anything better today than go 
back to this passage from Paul to get the most beautiful 
and highest interpretation of the meaning of Christian mar- 
riage ? 

Sixth Day : Paul dealt with other family matters, espe- 
cially the relation of children and parents. 

Children, obey your parents in all things, for this 
is well-pleasing in the Lord. Fathers, provoke not 
your children, that they be not discouraged. — Col. 
3:20, 21. 

Obedience is the rule for children. There was nothing new 
about that. The new feature which has come into the world 
through Christianity is that fathers are bound to respect 
their children. It was Jesus who discovered and sanctified 
childhood. 

Seventh Day: Paul says even more about the relation of 
servants and their masters, probably because it was the more 
necessary. 

76 



HONOR FATHER AND MOTHER [VI-s] 

Servants, be obedient unto them that according to 
the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, 
in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not in 
the way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers ; but as serv- 
ants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart; 
with good will doing service, as unto the Lord, and 
not unto men : knowing that whatsoever good thing 
each one doeth, the same shall he receive again from 
the Lord, whether he be bond or free. And, ye 
masters, do the same things unto them, and forbear 
threatening: knowing that he who is both their 
Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no re- 
spect of persons with him. — Eph. 6 : 5-9. 

We do not have servants today in the sense Paul here has 
in mind. As the margin tells us, they are "bondservants," 
slaves, as we should speak of them. Faithfulness on the 
part of all who serve, and kindly consideration on the part 
of employers— how far do these prevail today? 

Study for the Week 

I 

Who is not interested in China these days? The oldest 
nation in existence, whose origin nobody knows ; the largest 
number of people in any country in the world; a people just 
waking to its opportunity and asking admittance to the 
modern family of nations — is there not good reason to be 
intent on what is happening there? Conservatism has long 
been a mark of everything Chinese. To do things as they 
were done in the good old days of Yao and Shun, who are 
supposed to have ruled China more than 2,200 years before 
Christ, was considered a signal mark of orthodoxy and of 
loyalty to China and her institutions. The revolution in 
191 1 accomplished the first radical change in the form of 
government since the year 221 B.C. China has waked up to 
the fact that all she has, her national integrity included, de- 
pends for its preservation 'on the adoption of western 

77 



[VI-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

methods. Many blunders are being made, but the eye of 
sympathy is able to discern through all the confusion the 
steady purpose to make China worthy of the glorious tradi- 
tions of the past. 

A China completely renovated is the ideal which they have 
set before them. This, of course, includes religion. With a 
people whose hold on the past is so tenacious, it is impos- 
sible to believe that the past will not be strong enough to be 
a dominant influence in the religion of the future. Even 
with the coming of Christianity the break cannot and ought 
not to be complete. 

II 

What is the religion of the Chinese? The answer which 
comes immediately is that the Chinese are for the most part 
Confucianists, Taoists (pronounced Dowists), and Buddhists, 
with a plentiful sprinkling of Mohammedans. Confucianism 
and Taoism were not known until the 6th century before 
Christ, and Buddhism was not brought in until the first cen- 
tury of our era. What was the religion of China during the 
centuries, even millenniums before that? The practices and 
the beliefs which prevailed in the earliest days persist even 
down to the present time. Here again we see the fundamental 
conservatism of the Chinese people. What is it that lies 
back of the formulated religions and in many ways domi- 
nates them now? 

What we find in the earliest day, what we find today, is an 
undercurrent of belief in a great number of spirits and de- 
mons. There are millions of them, they are everywhere, no 
one can escape them. These spirits are good and bad, strong 
and weak. The shining sun over head, the source of all mate- 
rial good, is looked upon as a good spirit and everything 
connected with him as effective to drive out demons. So, when 
a boatman starts down the dangerous rapids of the Yangtze, 
it is not an uncommon thing for him to kill a cock and let 
its blood drip into the rushing waters. Since the crowing of 

78 



HONOR FATHER AND MOTHER [VI-s] 

the cock heralds the rising of the sun, there must be some effi- 
cacy in sacrificing the fowl itself. 

Yet very unfortunately the bad spirits occupy the atten- 
tion of the Chinese more than the good spirits. He lives 
in fear that these imps will bring him ill luck in any one of a 
hundred forms. He wants to neutralize their influence and 
looks on religion as a means to that end. The religion of a 
Chinese is very largely a means of securing material blessings 
and of averting physical disast.er and inconvenience. He 
lives in dread of smallpox and famine and fires and floods. 
There have always been some earnest, wistful souls, but this 
describes few, very few, of the Chinese. The average Chinese 
looks on religion as a doctor called in when things go 
wrong. 

The most common form of appeal to spirits is the worship 
of ancestors. It is a real worship — no sham, no mere rever- 
ence. The thought lying back of ancestor worship is that 
death does not break up the family; that the dead Chinese is 
alive, and is as much a part of the family as he was before. 
J. Dyer Ball, in one of his books, has a chapter on "The Life 
of a Dead Chinaman." Not only is he alive and a member 
of the family, he is the most important member of the 
family. Family plans must be made with the dead in view, 
rather than the living. They must receive offerings or they 
may do great injury. The tablets to ancestors have their 
place in every Chinese house on the god-shelf. So ancestor 
worship, which in the beginning may have sprung out of love 
and reverence and which doubtless is influenced by these 
feelings today, has as its dominant motive the fear of offend- 
ing the spirits of the departed. 

HI 

Up to this time we have been looking at the religion of the 
masses of the people. But even in the earliest day of which 
we can know anything there was another very important 
side to Chinese religion. Based on the same animistic founda- 
tion, there has always been an elaborate worship of the higher 

79 



[VI-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

forces and powers of nature, the climax of which is the wor- 
ship of Heaven, The over-arching Heaven in all its magni- 
ficence has been worshiped from time immemorial. At the 
dead of night, the longest night of the year, the Emperor of 
China has from the earliest times proceeded to the Temple of 
Heaven and there under the open sky, with no shelter what- 
soever and in the light of flaming torches, has offered sacri- 
fice to the great Shang-ti, as Heaven is called. He is assisted 
by a large company of his courtiers, yet the worship is his own. 
He alone of all Chinese has the right to offer this sacrifice, 
but he does it as the representative of his people. The patri- 
archal idea runs through the entire scheme of this state reli- 
gion. He worships for his people. 

The elaborate ceremonial connected with the worship of 
Heaven is carried out on the night of the winter solstice. 
On this night the forces of darkness and cold, having had 
full sway for six months, begin to retire before the forces of 
light and summer heat. Many weary weeks of cold and 
snow may intervene, but from this night the days begin to 
grow longer and the coming of the spring is only a matter of 
time. Like the religion of the masses of the people, this 
worship is directed toward material benefits and for China 
alone. With all its magnificence it is narrow and selfish. 
How different China is from India ! There we find people 
spiritually inclined; here a practical people intent on secur- 
ing material benefits. It is worthy of comment that Yuan 
Shih-kai, the late President of the RepubHc, continued to offer 
sacrifice to Heaven as the representative of the people, and 
the late President Li Yuan-hung stated that he would do 
likewise. 

IV 

It has been emphasized that every feature of the religion 
of China existed and was in full operation before any of 
the formal religions were known or their prophets had been 
born. Each of these religions made a contribution to Chinese 
life, but did not alter the foundations. 

80 



HONOR FATHER AND MOTHER [VI-s] 

Confucius lived from 551 to 478 B.C. His life was spent 
in North China during the days of feudalism. Many petty 
princes vied with each other and scarcely acknowledged the 
right of the emperor, who was but little stronger than some 
of the princes. Confucius was born in the state of Lu. When 
a man he was given an official position an^ succeeded so 
splendidly that the state of Lu became the envy of the 
adjacent states. The prince of one of them determined to 
end this prosperity and did so by sending to the Prince of 
Lu a present of fine horses and dancing girls. In spite of 
all Confucius could do the prince gave himself to pleasure 
instead of the affairs of state. The result was demoralization, 
and Confucius lost his position. Then began many years of 
wanderings, visiting the capital of state after state, seeking 
to induce the prince to employ him, with the assurance that 
prosperity would come if only his methods were followed. 
Not one prince was convinced and Confucius was compelled 
to return to his old home and retire from public life. Here 
for many years, with his disciples gathered around him, the 
old sage laid down his rules of life and compiled the books 
which have come down to us bearing his name. 

Confucius added nothing to the religious life of China, 
and, although the state religion is frequently called by his 
name, he did nothing to change its form or give it direction. 
What Confucius did was to give China its ethical code. Yet 
even here he disclaimed all right to be called an originator, 
preferring to be known as a transmitter of the heritage of 
bygone ages. Yet he did put the stamp of his personality 
and ideas on China so effectively that China is still the work- 
manship of the great Teacher. 

To Confucius the individual was of little value, and then 
only as a link in a chain or as a factor in the life of the 
state. Man must live in relationships, and the relationships 
seem to be more important than the people who are held to- 
gether by them. The ancients knew what was good better 
than we do, so the orthodox thing was to fill one's appointed 
place and hope for nothing more. We may see how this 

81 



[VI-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

works out in his teaching of the "Five Relations," those of 
father and son, ruler and subject, husband and wife, elder 
and younger brother, friend and friend. In each pair there 
is a superior and an inferior, one who had the right to issue 
orders and one whose duty was to obey. 

A wife is considered inferior to her husband. Her duty 
is obedience, her function is to raise up sons to continue the 
family line and to offer ancestral sacrifice after the parents 
have passed on. "Of all the sins a man could commit," said 
Mencius, "the greatest is not to have sons.*' But suppose a 
man should have no sons, what then? Either he must adopt 
a son or he' must bring in another wife. Thus polygamy fol- 
lows in the train of the idea of family solidarity. Woman 
suffers most, being looked upon as a mere means to an end. 
She has little value in herself ; only on becoming the mother 
of a son and because of that fact does she have any real 
place in Chinese Hfe. A child has no rights in China; the 
rights belong to the parents. So it has always been, and it 
is exceedingly difficult to change. In this and in every other 
respect, the old beaten tracks have been the accepted modes 
of procedure, and change has been scouted as an intolerable 
outrage. 

While Confucius was a teacher of morals, his name is now 
used to cover the state religion, as well as the popular wor- 
ship of the people. Temples by the thousands are to be found 
filled with images to all sorts of deities. Gods of the earth 
and of wealth, patron divinities and benefactors, gods to cure 
illnesses, gods who are patrons of various callings, and so 
through a long list, are worshiped everywhere in the Em- 
pire. The temples are the center of the religious life, but 
religious rites are also performed in the homes of the people. 
Side by side with the ancestral tablets are little images of 
the special gods worshiped, or written characters which repre- 
sent them. Cash or incense or tea are offered before any 
request is made. The saddest thing about it all is that every- 
thing connected with the worship is so selfish and on so low 
a material and physical plane. 

^2 



HONOR FATHER AND MOTHER [VI-s] 

V 

A little before the period of Confucius' greatest activity, 
there lived a great teacher in North China whose name was 
Laocius. Little is known of him. He wrote a short but very 
enigmatical book called the "Tao Te King" (pronounced 
Dow Day Ging) which represents a high idealism. The 
great theme of the book is the Tao. But what is Tao? 
Many, many definitions have been given, and often they 
are very far apart. Here is one: Tao is "the eternal and 
ubiquitous impersonal principle by which the universe has 
been produced and is supported and governed." The prac- 
tical purpose of Laocius* book is to induce men to follow the 
example of Tao. We are to be imitators of the "Way," the 
"orderly processes of nature," or whatever it is, and thus ful- 
fil our destiny. 

The imitation of Tao being the leading idea, and Tao 
being looked upon as impersonal and eternally quiescent, the 
outcome was a philosophy of inactivity. No wonder Con- 
fucius and Laocius could not understand each other; they 
were at opposite poles of thought. Confucius was the apostle 
of activity and eager striving, Laocius the philosopher of 
quietism. Confucius was the maker of China, while Laocius 
is remembered only as an impractical dreamer. 

Yet Taoism is one of the religions of China, and a strange 
religion it is. "Instead of limiting itself to the mysticism of 
its master, and pursuing his reasonable speculations, it gave 
itself up, at an early date, to the magical side of Chinese 
philosophy and practice." While no silly practices can be 
laid at the door of the mystical Laocius, his successors are 
reputed to have been able to do marvelous deeds, such as 
walking through the solid rock, leaping off precipices with 
no injury, and walking through fire unscathed. Many tried 
to acquire wisdom and immortality by physical means. A 
pill of immortality is mentioned, and men attempted to be- 
come ethereal by starving themselves into insensibility. The 
Taoist priests of today are experts in all kinds of magical 

83 



[VI-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

and demonic lore. They impose on the people in a hundred 
ways, amazing them by walking up a ladder of swords, and 
pushing needles through their cheeks, wandering through the 
streets in this gruesome fashion. 

The ignorant people resort to these charlatans in all their 
troubles, to expel demons of cholera, to give them good luck 
in business, to choose the correct site for a new house, to 
determine when a dead body should be buried, and to meet 
a hundred other wants of a people eaten up with dread and 
fear of the malign influence of ten thousand evil spirits. 
The secret societies to be found everywhere in China are of 
Taoist origin. The Boxers who terrorized north China in 
1900 and massacred so many native Christians and mis- 
sionaries were under Taoist influences. "Thousands and hun- 
dreds of thousands believed that, possessed of Taoist charms, 
weapons could not harm them, and that the horsehair whip 
blessed by the priest could turn back upon the marksman the 
bullet he fired.'' 

VI 

Buddhism, as we have seen in the previous study, came 
into China in the first century of our era. At the present time 
it is a pitiable remnant of a departed glory. Buddhist 
monasteries are often found in places of great natural 
beauty. Buddhist temples abound, but, like everything in 
China, look dusty and dingy. This religion is able to exist 
today because it has a message not contained in other reli- 
gions. Poor as it may seem, there is a spiritual element in 
Buddhism. Immortality is vividly depicted and the help of 
the Buddhas is assured. The Chinese are in sore need of 
just this element, and with all their abhorrence of monasti- 
cism and its idle unproductivity, they have had an ear for a 
message which has come to them through this channel alone. 
When a Chinese feels the solemn issues of life and death, 
he will listen to a Buddhist monk and take what comfort he 
can from the promises of help and the prospect of immor- 
tality which come from these imported gods of India. 

84 



HONOR FATHER AND MOTHER [VI-s] 

Finally, these three religions supplement one another. They 
answer to varying moods of the Chinese soul. Taoism deals 
with the fear and superstitions of the present life ; Buddhism 
with death and what is beyond death; while Confucianism, 
as enunciated by the sage, furnishes the rule of everyday 
life. All Chinese are Taoists, Buddhists, and Confucianists 
as occasion demands — th^y are not mutually exclusive. 

A great change is taking place in China. The political 
revolution is but an outward evidence of a profound inner 
development. For a people as remarkable as the Chinese, 
the religions of the country are singularly inadequate. What 
other nations have long since left behind as unfit for the 
advancing civilization of the new times, China with a kind 
of instinctive conservatism has held fast to with bull-dog 
tenacity. But now she is letting go, and is willing to be 
taught of the West. 

With all that China needs, the former President of the Re- 
public, Yuan Shih-kai, placed his finger on one of the weak- 
est spots in all Chinese life. At the close of a conversation 
with Dr. John R. Mott, the President made the statement 
that he saw this great difference between Christianity and 
Confucianism, that, while in China they had splendid ideals, 
Christianity was unique in that it possessed a power which 
riiade it possible for men to accomplish what the religion 
laid down as a duty. How great is the need in China just 
now for such a dynamic! 

Suggestions for Thought and Discussion 

I. The Family and Religion 

What differences exist between the Old and New Testa- 
ments with respect to the family? What can be gathered 
relative to the place of children in Jesus' estimate, from 
His treatment of them? What are the characteristics of a 
Christian home? 

n. Religion in Its Beginnings 

What kind of a religion did China have to start with? 

85 



[VI-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

Why were not the people allowed to worship the great gods 
of the state? What led the people to worship their an- 
cestors? What effect has this worship had on Chinese 
society? In what respects was this early religion lacking? 

III. Developed Religion 

Contrast the contribution of the two great leaders, 
Confucius and Laocius. Why did Confucius gain the as- 
cendency over the people? State the strong and weak 
points in his ethical system. What lack still remained which 
Buddhism filled? Why was Buddhism persecuted? State 
what you consider the religious needs of China today. 

(A helpful volume for further study will be found in 
"The Historical Development of Religion in China," by 
W. J. Clennell.) 



86 



CHAPTER VII 

RELIGION AND PATRIOTISM 

Japan is above everything else patriotic. Separated from 
the mainland of Asia and yet in touch with its civilization, 
sharing many features of their life with their continental 
neighbors and yet considering themselves superior to them, 
the people of the Island Empire of the East have developed 
an intense nationalism. Loyalty is the word printed large 
over everythiiig Japanese. So deeply is Japanese religion 
impregnated with this spirit that religion means little more 
than patriotism to many of the people today. 

The Bible readings for this week are selected to present the 
attitude of the biblical writers toward nationality and loyalty 
to country. They present some of the general principles which 
do not change, dealing with what we might call the founda- 
tions of a prosperous and lasting state. 

Daily Readings 

First Day : The Hebrew state was founded on a covenant, 
an agreement between God and the nation, according to 
which each accepted certain responsibilities and was to be the 
recipient of a certain recognition on the part of the other. 
The beginnings were in the days when God entered into such 
a compact with Abraham, the Father of the Faithful. 

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, 
Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am 
God Almighty; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 
And I will make my covenant between me and thee, 
and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell 
on his face : and God talked with him, saying. As for 
me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt 
be the father of a multitude of nations. — Gen. 17: 1-4. 

87 



[VII-2] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

Can you wonder that this nation, thus founded on God's 
promise, should have looked on its history as sacred and a 
glorious destiny as sure? 

Second Day: The covenant made with Abraham was re- 
newed with the Israelites through Moses at Sinai. Here 
quite explicitly the conditional nature of the obligation resting 
on God is stated. 

And Moses went up unto God, and Jehovah called 
unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt 
thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children 
of Israel : Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyp- 
tians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and 
brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will 
obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye 
shall be mine own possession from among all peoples : 
for all the earth is mine : and ye shall be unto me a 
kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. . . . And all 
the people answered together, and said. All that 
Jehovah hath spoken we will do. And Moses re- 
ported the words of the people unto Jehovah. — Ex- 
odus 19 : 3-6, 8. 

The responsibility assumed by the people was that they 
should obey God's voice and thus keep the covenant. The 
Hebrew nation was founded on strict moral principles. Can 
a nation hope to continue and be prosperous which is not 
founded on these same ethical principles? 

Third Day: When, a few years later, the people had 
passed through the desert and were ready to settle down in 
the Promised Land which they had partially conquered, 
Joshua summons them together and renews the covenant. 

And Joshua said unto the people. Ye cannot serve 
Jehovah; for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God; 
he will not forgive your transgression nor your sins. 
If ye forsake Jehovah, and serve foreign gods, then 
he will turn and do you evil, and consume you, after 

88 



RELIGION AND PATRIOTISM [VII-4I 

that he hath done you good. And the people said 
unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve Jehovah. And 
Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against 
yourselves that ye have chosen you Jehovah, to serve 
him. And they said, We are witnesses. Now there- 
fore put away, said he, the foreign gods which are 
among you, and incline your heart unto Jehovah, the 
God of Israel. And the people said unto Joshua, 
Jehovah our God will we serve, and unto his voice 
will we hearken. So Joshua made a covenant with 
the people that day, and set them a statute and an 
ordinance in Shechem. — Josh. 24 : 19-25. 

Here the condition laid down is that the people were to be 
loyal to Jehovah and to him alone. What application can 
this have to the life of nations today? Does it touch the 
continuance of China and Japan as nations? 

Fourth Day : What connection can there be between the 
observance of the Jewish Sabbath and the preservation of the 
Jewish state? 

And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken 
unto me, saith Jehovah, to bring in no burden through 
the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but to hallow 
the sabbath day, to do no work therein; then shall 
there enter in by the gates of this city kings and 
princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in 
chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the 
men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and 
this city shall remain forever. . . . But if ye will 
not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and 
not to bear a burden and enter in at the gates of 
Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a 
fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the 
palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched. — 
Jer. 17:24, 25, 27. 

How different is our attitude toward the Sabbath, or evert 
Sunday, our day of rest and worship ! Jesus' words relative 

89 



[VII-5] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

to its observance have changed our whole outlook. The 
Sabbath, according to Jesus, is our servant — it was made 
for our use. But must there not be in national life some 
recognition of God and of our obligation to Him? Are we 
in any less need of such recognition than the Jews? 

Fifth Day : The day came when the Northern Kingdom of 
Israel was taken away captive, only to be followed after 
about a hundred years by her southern sister Judah. What 
was the reason for allowing them to be plunged into such 
misery? The inner life of these people was rotten. Social 
injustice and flagrant immorality were eating out the life of 
the nation. Stability could come only by mending their ways 
and living righteously. 

Hear the word of Jehovah, ye children of Israel ; 
for Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants 
of the land, because there is no truth, nor goodness, 
nor knowledge of God in the land. There is nought 
but swearing and breaking faith, and killing, and 
stealing, and committing adultery ; they break out, 
and blood toucheth blood. — Hos. 4: 1-2. 

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, 
Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause 
you to dwell in this place. — Jer. 7 : 3. 

Sixth Day: Nationality was to Israel so absorbing and 
uplifting a conception that her sweetest singers return often 
to bless Jehovah for His goodness. 

God be merciful unto us, and bless us. 

And cause his face to shine upon us ; 

That thy way may be known upon earth, 

Thy salvation among all nations. 

Let the peoples praise thee, O God ; 

Let all the peoples praise thee. — Psalm 6y\ 1-3. 

The psalmist has in this song touched on a broad theme. 
We are but beginning to catch its significance now — that all 
nations belong to God, that all have their contribution to make 

90 



RELIGION AND PATRIOTISM [VII-7] 

to the world's life, and that, therefore, all should be respected 
and all should be mutually helpful. 

Seventh Day : Little is said about nationality in the New 
Testament. The Roman Empire was the dominant political 
feature of the age, and it was simply taken for granted by 
New Testament writers. The general attitude was one of 
gratitude that peace and order were insured by so powerful a 
government. Only in the Book of Revelation, after Rome 
began to persecute the Christians, is there resentment and 
bitter denunciation of the powers in control. But when Paul 
wrote his letter to the Roman Church, he expressed himself 
strongly on the duty of Christians toward the government. 

Let every soul be in subjection to the higher 
powers : for there is no power but of God ; and the 
powers that be are ordained of God. . . . Render 
to all their dues : tribute to whom tribute is due ; 
custom to whom custom ; fear to whom fear ; honor 
to whom honor. — Rom. 13 : i, 7. 

This was high ground to take — a pagan power "ordained 
of God." Wherever order is maintained and justice is ad- 
ministered in the world today, there in Paul's view is a divine 
institution worthy of respect and rightly demanding obe- 
dience. 

Study for the Week 

I 

What is to become of Japan? This question is of large 
significance when we consider the dominant place Japan has 
been occupying in the Eastern world. The entrance of 
Japan into the family of nations during the last fifty years 
is one of the marvels of the history of civilization, and her 
future is a matter of deep concern to all who are interested 
in world problems. It is fitting that we ask about her reli- 
gious life, for only by so doing shall we understand the 

91 



[VII-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

Japanese and penetrate to the heart of the motives and fears 
and hopes which actuate her as a nation. 

Japan's own contribution to her religious life has been 
meager. What she has received from others has been far 
greater in bulk and more significant in many ways than her 
own original deposit. Yet Japan has always put her own 
stamp on whatever she has received, adapting it to her pur- 
poses and fitting it into her own characteristic mold. There 
is never any difficulty in identifying anything Japanese — it 
is her own and no one can mistake it. 

II 

The primitive religion of Japan was puny and simple, as 
compared with the additions later made. But while this is 
so, we must look well at this original deposit, for without a 
clear understanding of its meaning one of the most import- 
ant clues to the whole subsequent development would be lack- 
ing. 

Japan's early religion has been called Shinto, or Shintoism. 
It is today listed as one of the three religions of Japan, 
Buddhism and Confucianism being the other two. Shinto is 
a borrowed Chinese word whose Japanese equivalent is Kami- 
no-michi, which means in English **the way of the gods." 
The clue to the whole system, if it can be dignified by such 
a designation, is the word Kami. What does this word 
translated "gods" really mean? In its simplest signification 
it means 'Svhat is above." But this meaning grew until 
Kami came to signify ''any object or natural phenomenon 
that might arouse the feelings of wonder, awe, or reverence." 
It is quite clear that this simple religion was a form of 
animism or nature worship. The particular quality or feature 
which led to the worship of any object as a Kami was power. 
The Japanese felt himself to be in the presence of beings 
stronger than himself, on whom he was dependent and to 
whom he should offer worship. This worship was most 
simple — never was there a form of worship more unpreten- 
tious. There was no doctrine and no code of morals. At a 

92 



RELIGION AND PATRIOTISM [VII-s] 

later period a Japanese writer naively explained that while 
other peoples might need rules and regulations to keep them 
decent, the Japanese were different, all they had to do was to 
follow the natural bent of their hearts and they would not 
go astray! 

Closely connected witli this worship of nature and grow- 
ing out of it was ancestor worship, which still prevails every- 
where in Japan. Every house has its god shelf, on which 
offerings are placed to ancestors as well as gods. The theory 
back of all the thoughts the Japanese have had about them- 
selves is that they are a special creation of the gods. The cen- 
tral nerve of this belief about themselves is that the imperial 
line is descended from their first Emperor, Jimmu Tenno, 
who is said to have begun to reign 660 B.C., and who was 
a direct descendant of the sun goddess, Amaterasu-no-Miya. 
A most remarkable fact about the dynasty which occupies the 
Japanese throne is that it has provided an unbroken line of 
emperors from the earliest day to the present. The ruling 
Emperor, Yoshihito, is said to be the one hundred and twenty- 
second in the direct line of descent. No other imperial 
family in the whole history of the world can show such a 
record. 

But what has this to do with religion ? Much in every way. 
There has always existed in Japan a reverence for the impe- 
rial house and throne, which has amounted almost, if not 
fully, to worship. Despite all the changes of the centuries 
and the flood of foreign beliefs and practices which have 
poured into their land, the Japanese have never lost this sense 
of reverential attachment and worshipful allegiance to the 
imperial line. This Japan did not receive from abroad; it is 
indigenous and original, and in many ways has been deter- 
minative of her history and character. The Japanese are 
first of all patriotic, loyal to the ruling dynasty. They are 
proud of their descent, of their history arid their country, 
but most of all of the person, the divine person, who rules 
over them in perfect security and with no fear. 

As the late Dr. Knox happily put it, everything in the 

93 



[VII-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

ancient religion might be summed up in the injunction, "Fear 
the gods and obey the Emperor." He speaks of this prim- 
itive Shinto as "essentially nature worship, married to the 
worship of the Imperial house." And now at the present time, 
after all the vicissitudes of her history and the introduction of 
alien faiths, Shinto is the embodiment of the spirit of patriot- 
ism and of loyalty to the reigning house of Japan, Shinto 
expresses the confidence of the Japanese people "that there is 
a something more than their present strength and wisdom 
which directs and aids and on which they may rely." 

Ill 

No one can conjecture what would have become of Japan 
and her religion had she been left to herself. In the sixth 
century of our era, and even before, influences from the 
mainland of Asia made themselves felt and in a century or 
two Japan had entered the stream of Eastern Asiatic civil- 
ization. There came from China literature and letters, silk- 
worms and horses, architecture and the crafts, and among 
many other things a new religion and a new morality — that is. 
Buddhism and Confucianism. Buddhism became the pre- 
vailing religion of Japan and Confucianism the ethical code. 

The conquest of Japan by Buddhism was not without 
opposition. The final victory was not won until a Japanese 
Buddhist monk, named Kobo Daishi, opened the way to an 
understanding between Buddhism and Shinto. By a stroke 
of genius, shall we say, this astute monk proclaimed that the 
old Kami of Japan were nothing more nor less than incarna- 
tions or manifestations of Buddhist deities. By this ruse 
Shinto sank to a place of inferiority and might have disap- 
peared, had it not been for the political motive which made 
it stand for reverence and veneration of the imperial house. 

From that day to this. Buddhism has remained the religion 
of the masses of the Japanese people, and for a thousand 
years it continued the religion of the upper classes as well. 
The question must arise. What contribution did Buddhism 
make that it should thus stand first as the religion of these 

94 



RELIGION AND PATRIOTISM [VII-s] 

people? Shinto was simple and bare; Buddhism most com- 
plex and gorgeous. Shinto shrines were plain unadorned 
buildings with no idols and with the simplest accompaniments 
of worship ; Buddhism stimulated art, provided an elaborate 
ritual and showy paraphernalia for worship. One of the 
beauties of Japan today is the sight of Buddhist temples 
tucked away amid the trees in the solemn stillness of some 
secluded valley. All this was unknown before. A priesthood, 
in so far as Buddhism can be said to have a priesthood, was 
everywhere evident. Many splendid divinities were intro- 
duced to the people; the other world was opened up before 
the wondering gaze of the simple natives ; for the first time 
a paradise was promised and a real salvation preached. The 
most splendid of all the divinities was the merciful Amida, 
who presides over his paradise beyond the distant western 
mountains, there to receive all worthy ones to bliss and im- 
mortality. 

The writer can remember the visits he paid as a boy to 
the great Buddhist temple at Asakusa, in the city of Tokyo. 
The whole scene is a strange mixture of solemn worship 
and pleasure seeking. Shops with toys and candies and all 
kinds of souvenirs, places for fun and amusement,, remind- 
ing one a little of Coney Island, vie with the desire for 
worship to draw thousands to this most popular resort. The 
temple itself is very unattractive and dirty within, yet here 
are persons throwing their cash into the enormous coffer, 
and with bent knees offering their petitions' to Kwannon, the 
Goddess of Mercy. 'Terhaps no deity plays a bigger role 
in popular Buddhism, and the famous Asakusa Kwannon 
temple m Tokyo is the most frequented spot in all Japan, 
though it must be admitted that in recent years the crowds 
are drawn, perhaps, more by the 'movies' which flank two 
sides of the temple." Under the same roof, but open to 
access by the people, is the famous image of Binzuru, the god 
of Healing, which has been rubbed by poor afflicted people so 
long that it has lost all human features and is a shiny mass 
of wood. According to our ideas, this image must be a 

95 



IVII-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

spreader of disease far more than a healer, but the belief 
of the ignorant people is so great that the Tokyo Board of 
Health has not dared to forbid the touching of the idol in 
worship. This is a picture of popular Buddhism today and 
as it has been for centuries. 

IV 

Buddhism gave Japan a religion, but it did little in provid- 
ing the people with an ethical code. Its rules were for the 
most part for the monks. Here was the opening for Con- 
fucianism. But again the unique stamp of Japan must be 
put on this exotic before it can be called Japanese. And 
nowhere is the Japanese sign-manual more deeply impressed. 
Confucius based his whole system on the family and made 
the first relation that of parent and child. Such a thing could 
never be allowed in Japan. The state must precede the family 
in devotion. The first relation is that between ruler and 
people. Loyalty, not filial piety, is the first virtue. Rever- 
ence for parents follows as an undisputed second, but it has 
lost its place of preeminence. Then again, in China peace 
is the condition most desired, and in society the most honored 
member is the scholar-sage. Not so in Japan. The most 
important concern is to maintain the ascendency of the rul- 
ing house — this must be accomplished at all costs. The soldier 
has always been the first man in the Japanese social scale. 
But strange to say, the soldier in Japan was also the scholar. 
The martial and the scholarly were united in one person, 
thus making a unique and fascinating individual. Confu- 
cianism was scarcely Confucianism, when it became accli- 
mated in Japan. 

After a thousand years. Buddhism ceased to be the power 
it once was among the higher classes. What religion they had 
seems to have been a refined and elevated Confucianism, a 
conception that there was a power — indefinable and impersonal 
to be sure, but real — in the universe, a power which myste- 
riously included everything in its benevolent embrace. Prac- 
tically this could amount to little more than a quietism, a 

96 



RELIGION AND PATRIOTISM [VII-s] 

stoic acceptance of whatever came as inevitable, a contempla- 
tive attitude of acquiescence in all that happened as decreed 
by high heaven. On the positive side, loyalty to one's feudal 
lord and defending his honor was sufficient to call out all the 
desire for activity in the life of an ordinary man. 



For a second time in her history, Japan began about a half 
century ago to feel the influence of an alien civilization. This 
time it was the influence of the Western world. Her response 
has been wonderful. Profound changes are taking place in the 
religions. 

Officially Shinto has declared itself not to be a religion, 
though practically the old native divinities are worshiped in 
the old way, particularly in the out-of-the-way places. It 
exists for most people as the cult of patriotism and as such 
its influence is very powerful. Many Japanese, particularly 
members of the military caste, look upon this semi-religious 
patriotism as about all the religion Japan needs. This 
extreme attitude is responsible for the question which is a 
vital one in Japan today. Can a man be a Christian and a 
Japanese patriot at the same time? Both answers, affirm- 
ative and negative, are still given, many ardent patriots refus- 
ing to be convinced of their loyalty by the bravery displayed 
in two wars by Japanese Christians. 

The coming of a new day has made Buddhism attempt to 
clean house and adapt itself to Western ways. A number of 
leaders now interpret Buddhism in accordance with Western 
philosophy and even Christian ideas. It would be hard to 
recognize as old-time Buddhism, but we must expect more 
of this same thing as a religion seeks to accommodate itself 
to the pulse beats of the new life which surrounds it. With 
the coming of Western education the old morality based on 
old beliefs begins to lose its hold. This presents one of 
the most serious situations ever faced by a nation. Recently 
a census was taken of the 5,000 students in the Imperial Uni- 
versity at Tokyo. 450 were willing to put themselves down 

97 



[VII-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

as Buddhists or Shintoists, 1,550 registered themselves as 
atheists, and 3,000 as agnostics. The old religions have lost 
the allegiance of the rising generation. The result is con- 
fusion, uncertainty, and anxiety, morally and religiously. 
Moral lapses are so frequent as to become the concern of 
the government; suicides are increasing rapidly; Japan is a 
nation like a ship at sea, not knowing its bearings and with- 
out a rudder. Desperate attempts are being made to incul- 
cate moral principles, but with little effect. No nation in the 
world is in a more dangerous situation concerning the deeper 
things of life than Japan. 

Is there any need for Christianity? Listen to the words of 
President Harada of the Doshisha University, the leading 
Christian institution of Japan, whose declaration is that in 
a sense not true of the old faiths Christianity has power to 
satisfy the deepest needs of the heart. It does this by pre- 
senting God as a Father, by exhibiting the personality of 
Jesus, by presenting a positive view of life, by giving a com- 
paratively satisfactory world-view, and by producing ex- 
amples of a transformed life. In all these respects the reli- 
gions of Japan have failed. The uncertainty of the pres- 
ent time was expressed in a cable from the volunteers in 
Japan to the Student Volunteer Convention, meeting at 
Nashville in 1906, "Japan is leading the Orient — whither?" 

Suggestions for Thought and Discussion 

I. Religion and the State 

What was the connection between religion and the state 
in the Old Testament? What was the attitude of the New 
Testament toward the Roman Empire? What connection 
should there be between religion and the state now? How 
can patriotism be saved from narrowness and intolerance? 

II. The Imperial House and Religion 

Why do the Japanese hold the Imperial House in such 
high honor? What connection does this attitude have 

98 



RELIGION AND PATRIOTISM [VII-s] 

with religion? In what way is Japanese patriotism differ- 
ent from ours? Is there any fundamental incompatibility 
between patriotism and internationalism? 

III. Buddhism in Japan 

What difference between the Buddhism of Japan and that 
of Gautama Buddha? What did Buddhism do for Japan? 
What distinctive points in Japanese Buddhism? What is 
the hope of the future? 

(The best volume of reference on the religions of Japan 
is "The Development of Religion in Japan," by George W. 
Knox.) 



99 



CHAPTER VIII 

WE HAVE ABRAHAM TO OUR FATHER 

In the readings this week we are to study the Jew in the 
light of the Bible. This means that we are to look at him 
through the eyes of the Old Testament and through the eyes 
of the New Testament as well, for these men who gave us 
the New Testament were followers of Jesus Christ, the 
most illustrious of the sons of Abraham. 

Daily Readings 

First Day: 

Now Jehovah said unto Abram, Get thee out of 
thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy 
f ather^s house, unto the land that I will show thee : 
and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will 
bless thee, and make thy name great, and I will bless 
them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will 
I curse : and in thee shall all the families of the 
earth be blessed. — Gen. 12: 1-3. 

Note two things, that a promise is given to Abraham which 
affects not only him but his descendants, and that the pur- 
pose of this call is very far-reaching. How can we today 
justify God's choice of a particular people? Can it be 
merely to make them His favorites? What was the ultimate 
purpose of God in this selection, as given by the writer in 
verse 3? It is well to keep this purpose in mind in all our 
thought of the Jewish people. 

Second Day: The long history of the Hebrew people is, 
we may say, the history of God*s difficult task of training a 

100 



ABRAHAM TO OUR FATHER [VIII-3] 

people to fulfil its purpose among the nations. The highest 
mark of God's favor in the past was the wonderful deliver- 
ance out of Egypt. 

When Israel went forth out of Egypt, 
The house of Jacob from a people of strange lan- 
guage; 
Judah became his sanctuary, 
Israel his dominion. 
The sea saw it, and fled; 
The Jordan was driven back. 
The mountains skipped like rams, 
The little hills like lambs. — Psalm 114:1-4. 

With all its beauty, is there not a danger in this attitude 
of narrowness and exclusiveness ? Does not this danger exist 
quite as really today in the life of any nation which is self- 
centered, and gives little thought to the contribution it may 
make unselfishly to the life of the world? 

Third Day: God's plan for this people became evident to 
a small group — He did have an aim and they had caught it. 

And many nations shall go and say. Come ye, and 
let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, and to the 
house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of 
his ways, and we will walk in his paths. For out of 
Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah 
from Jerusalem; and he will judge between many 
peoples, and will decide concerning strong nations 
afar off.— ^Micah 4:2-3. 

Jerusalem is of course the center still, but the overflow of 
its religious life will touch even "strong nations afar off." 

God's purpose in addition was to build up a people from 
whom might come a great Deliverer, a Saviour of the whole 
world. Was any nation ever more highly favored? 

Fourth Day: The crisis of the history of the Hebrews 
was the awful experience of the Babylonian captivity. The 

lOI 



[VIII-5] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

nation as a nation was destroyed, and so far as God's purposes 
were concerned only a "Remnant" was left. 

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the rem- 
nant of Israel, and they that are escaped of the house 
of Jacob, shall no more again lean upon him that 
smote them, but shall lean upon Jehovah, the Holy 
One of Israel, in truth. A remnant shall return, even 
the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. For 
though thy people, Israel, be as the sand of the sea, 
only a remnant of them shall return : a destruction is 
determined, overflowing with righteousness. — Isa. 

10 : 20-22. 

In the very midst of the captivity a prophet arose who has 
been called the "Evangelist of the Exile.'* He caught the 
significance of Israel's call as few others did, and we have the 
marvellous Servant passages in the latter part of the book of 
Isaiah. 

Behold, my servant, whom I uphold ; my chosen, in 
whom my soul delighteth : I have put my Spirit upon 
him; he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. . . . 
He will not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set 
justice in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his 
law. — Isa. 42: I, 4. 

Yea, he saith. It is too light a thing that thou 
shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of 
Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel : I will 
also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou 
mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. — 
Isa. 49 : 6. 

Fifth Day: Jesus came of the Jewish race. He came de- 
claring that the Kingdom of God was at hand, that, despite 
their blindness and hardness of heart in the past, the chosen 
people might" receive Him and thus meet God's expectations 
for them. 

But this was not to be. He was rejected by His own people, 
through the hatred of whose leaders He was finally crucified. 

102 



ABRAHAM TO OUR FATHER [VIII-6] 

We have but a hint or two of the anguish of this experience 
to Jesus. 

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, 
and stoneth them that are sent unto her ! how often 
would I have gathered' thy children together, even as 
a hen gathereth her own brood under her wings, and 
ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you 
desolate : and I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, 
until ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the 
name of the Lord. — Luke 13 : 34, 35. 

Like a desolate house no longer inhabited, Israel was in a 
sense abandoned — God no longer needed this race to carry- 
out His purposes. 

Sixth Day: Paul had several experiences of rejection by 
the Jews when he attempted to preach Christ to his fellow 
Jews as the fulfilment of prophecy. 

And the next sabbath almost the whole city was 
gathered together to hear the word of God. But 
when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled 
with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were 
spoken by Paul, and blasphemed. And Paul and 
Barnabas spake out boldly, and said. It was necessary 
that the word of God should first be spoken to you. 
Seeing ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves 
unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. 
For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, 

1 have set thee for a light of the Gentiles, 

That thou shouldest be for salvation unto the utter- 
most part of the earth. — Acts 13 : 44-47. 

But to the very end Paul longed and labored that his 
people might be saved and might join the company of be- 
lievers in Jesus Christ. 

Brethren, my heart's desire and my supplication to 
God is for them, that they may be saved. — Rom. 10 : i. 

103 



[VIII-7] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

Seventh Day : Paul makes it very clear that membership 
in the Jewish race was of no advantage to a man. He even 
interprets circumcision, the distinctive outward mark of the 
Jew, spiritually. 

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither 
is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh : but 
he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is 
that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter ; whose 
praise is not of men, but of God. — Rom. 2:28, 29. 

There is then no longer any middle wall of partition be- 
tween the Jew and the Gentile. All stand on the same foot- 
ing before God. Have we ever imagined it possible for the 
Jews to come to Christ? But why not? 

Study for the Week 

I 

'The Jew, Sir," said his minister to Frederick the Great 
when asked to give in a single word a proof of the truth of 
the Bible. Has any race been through what the Jews have 
and still survived with undiminished vigor? For centuries, 
yes, ever since the days of the opposition of the Roman 
Empire to the despised Jew, this race has been banned and 
persecuted. Shut up in the Ghetto in the cities of Europe, 
they lived a life apart, and only in comparatively modern 
times have they been allowed to participate in the life of the 
nations. Yet they have persisted and by sheer force of 
ability and pertinacity they have made a valuable contribu- 
tion to the life of the peoples among whom they have lived. 
They have proved themselves skilful money makers and 
this has given them power and influence. 

In the realms of music and philosophy they have made a 
name for themselves. Mendelssohn in the former and 
Spinoza in the latter are names to conjure with. More 
recently have they distinguished themselves in political life. 
While Disraeli was Prime Minister in England, members 

104 



ABRAHAM TO OUR FATHER [VIII-sJ 

of the same race occupied similar positions in three other 
European countries. While it would thus be possible to re- 
count great names in many fields, the chief interest to us lies 
in the race itself and in the religion which they profess. 
Scattered over the world 'the Jews number about 11,500,000. 
The "ubiquitous Jew" is found in nearly every land where 
trade holds out its lure, even though in some of these places 
he forms but a very small colony. But he is always the same 
Jew, readily distinguished from the alien population among 
whom he has taken up his residence. 

II 

He is distinct in race and in religion. Intermarriage with 
other people is known, of course, as it was in biblical days, 
but is frowned upon. Ostracism usually follows such a 
marriage. It is difficult for an outsider to realize how tena- 
ciously purity of blood is insisted upon as a sine qua non 
in any Jewish community. The Jews come into relation with 
others in business, in education, and in political life, but all 
their social life is within their own brotherhood. 

All who are Jews racially are counted by outsiders as Jews 
religiously, with little consideration of the great differences 
between individuals and different communities. The differ- 
ences which exist are those of greater or lesser adherence to 
the customary teachings and practices of the community, but 
even an extreme variation is not sufficient to cause a sever- 
ance of relations. They come and go as Jews and are recog- 
nized as such by their own people and by others. How many 
there are who seem to care little for the religious observances 
of their religion ! They are proud of their race and yet take 
no share in the religious life. For the sake of avoiding 
criticism and as a matter of outward conformity, they attend 
the synagogue occasionally and participate in a perfunctory 
wa}'' in the most important feasts, but they have no heart in 
what they do. They are engrossed in business and have no 
time for such things. 

One of the most serious aspects of the whole situation is 

105 



[VIII-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

that agnosticism and even atheism have made serious inroads 
into the ranks of those who are students in the great univer- 
sities. They are lost to Judaism so far as religion is con- 
cerned, with little hope of their recovery. The same is true 
among the young men and women who belong to the ranks 
of the extreme socialists and anarchists. They become bla- 
tant deniers of the sanctities of life and religion. To hear 
gifted young Jewish orators haranguing crowds on the fool- 
ishness of believing in a personal God or on free-love is to 
make one shudder with apprehension. Go to any thoughtful 
Jewish Rabbi and he will be found to be in genuine distress. 
With the loss of the hold their religion has on these young 
men, there is inevitable moral slackness. Even those who 
are in middle life in this country can remember the day 
when the Jew was pointed to as the man seldom if ever seen 
in a criminal court as the defendant. He was singularly free 
from crime and the more flagrant forms of immorality. Now 
a very different situation faces the investigator. It has even 
been said that the most striking' fact in the criminal records 
of some of our cities is the growth of crime among Jews — 
a most remarkable testimony to the close connection between 
moral deterioration and religious decay. 

The other side of the shield is full of encouragement. No 
class in our country is showing more interest in social and 
moral reform in all its branches than these keen Jewish stu- 
dents. Leaders in charity organizations and beneficence, 
advocates of child labor legislation and of prison and other 
reforms, the Jews must be looked upon as an invaluable ele- 
ment in our civilization. They are one with us politically and 
commercially and in all movements of progress and improve- 
ment. 

Ill 

And now, what about his religion? The first distinctive 
religious fact we observe is that the Jew keeps the Sabbath, 
going to service on Friday night and Saturday morning. 
Through all the centuries from the time of Moses he has not 

io6 



I 



ABRAHAM TO OUR FATHER [VIII-s] 

deviated from the practice, but has remembered the Sabbath 
to keep it holy. Through the portals of the Sabbath, then, 
we may enter the house of Judaism and find what kind of a 
religion it is. 

One of the most important discoveries we shall make is 
that the Jew has received a priceless legacy from the past 
in the Old Testament. How much of the past to which the 
Jew looks back is identical with that of the Christian! But 
there is one very significant and striking difference. The 
Jew is directly descended from the race whose story is the 
center of interest throughout the volume. They are proud to 
say, as their ancestors said in the days of Jesus, 'We have 
Abraham to our Father." Their Temple is gone, to be sure, 
sacrifices are abolished, nationality is extinct, they are scat- 
tered among all the nations; yet despite all this the old cove- 
nant relation between God and this people is very precious 
and real to them. They are still conscious of a mission, they 
are stilj the chosen of the Lord. 

Without the Temple and without the priestly and sacrificial 
system, they were driven in upon themselves and their own 
spiritual resources. Along with this deepening of spirituality 
has come the Regulation of life and conduct, even down to the 
minutest details. The basis of it all was the law of Moses, 
in addition to which various codes have been formulated. 
The one under which the great bulk of the Jews still live is 
that of Joseph Caro, called the "Table Prepared," which is 
an arrangement of the whole traditional law. The Law has 
always been looked upon as ''the expression of the will of 
God." But in it lurked a danger which the Jews have not 
escaped, that of placing such emphasis upon the strict keep- 
ing of the law that all else is considered of secondary im- 
portance. Today law is looked upon by many of the pro- 
gressives as a curtailment of personal liberty. A new spirit 
is abroad, the effect of which no one can prognosticate. In- 
deed it is stated thus, "The chief modern problem in Jewish 
life is just this : to what extent, and in what manner, can 
Judaism still place itself under the reign of Law?" 

107 



[VIII-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

IV 

While in conduct a Jew was bound by the exact require- 
ments of the written Law, in beHef he was free. The essen- 
tial elements of the Jewish religion have never been stated 
authoritatively. No one dared step in to compel the local 
synagogue to do anything counter to its own judgment. To 
put this thought in the words of a Jewish writer, "Since 
the time of Moses Mendelssohn (1728-1786), the chief Jew- 
ish dogma has been that Judaism has no dogmas." 

This does not mean that no scholars have drawn up 
sets of beliefs, nor that many Jews have not recognized 
them as true. On the contrary, this has been done many 
times. In 1896 the American Jews prepared what they called 
the "Proselyte Confession," as a statement of beliefs for the 
benefit of outsiders and seekers, who desired to know what 
Judaism stood for today. It consists of five brief state- 
ments, as follows: (i) God the Holy One; (2) Man His 
Image; (3) Immortality of the Soul; (4) Retribution; (5) 
Israel's Mission. 

In the very forefront of all statements of their belief is 
monotheism. There is but one God and He only is Lord of 
heaven and earth. This is the most important feature of the 
heritage from the past, and it is heralded with great clarity 
wherever the Jew is to be found. 

An important feature of Judaism has always been its 
feasts. The interest has persisted, Passover, Pentecost, the 
Feast of Tabernacles being still celebrated, and there are 
many others. But these feasts are losing or have lost their 
primary significance and are being interpreted "ideally and 
symbolically." What will happen more and more is their 
modification and adaptation, so that they may continue to 
be a pleasing and significant feature of the religious life of the 
community. 

V 

One of the difficulties in making any statement about the 
Jewish religion, however brief, is caused by the divisions 

108 



ABRAHAM TO OUR FATHER [VIII-s] 

among the Jews themselves. Even among those who call 
themselves orthodox there are extremists, like those, for 
example, in Poland, who attempt to preserve intact all that 
Judaism was in the early period. They look upon their Bible 
and the Talmud as alike inspired and authoritative, and have 
changed little in their expectation of a Messiah who is to 
come and fulfil literally all the prophecies of the Old Testa- 
ment. From this extreme, gradations lead down through 
others still called orthodox until a hazy line is crossed and 
the confines of the Reform or Liberal Jews are reached. 
As they have absorbed modern culture and have come into 
contact with the currents of modern thought, they find it 
difficult to hold the old views without modification. 

Most Jews still possess the Messianic hope. In the words 
of one of their leaders, "The Messianic hope promises the 
establishment, by the Jews, of a world power in Palestine to 
which all the nations of the earth will pay homage." The 
recent fall of Jerusalem has vivified this expectation. On 
the other hand, "The Messianic idea now means to many 
Jews a belief in human development and progress, with the 
Jews filling the role of the Messianic people, but only as' 
primus inter pares. It is an expression of a genuine opti- 
mism." In orthodox circles the principle may be said to be, 
"Judaism .for the Jew,'' but in contrast "modern reformed 
Judaism is a universal Judaism." The national aspects are 
waning and the bold step is being taken of asserting that their 
religion is for all men. They are steering their bark out into 
the full current of modern religious life. 

What the outcome will be, who can say? The old ortho- 
dox Jews are distinct and separate, both in belief and as a 
community, from all other religious bodies. The modern 
liberal Jews lose their distinctiveness in belief and practice 
and can scarcely be distinguished from the rationalistic theist 
to be found so frequently these days. Their belief is Tery 
tenuous indeed, scarcely sufficient to hold believers together 
were it not for other considerations. And other conditions 
do exist. They are Jews in race, and that means much e^eai 

109 



[VIII-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

among the most liberal. They must hold together as a dis- 
tinct community. They have a mission to perform. Put in 
the words of the London Jewish Religious Union, "Till the 
main religious and moral principles of Judaism have been 
accepted by the world at large, the maintenance by the Jews 
of a separate corporate existence is a religious duty incum- 
bent upon them. They are the witnesses of God, and they 
must adhere to their religion, showing forth its truth and 
excellence to all mankind.'* 

Suggestions for Thought and Discussion 

I. The Jewish People in the Bible 

For what purpose were the Jewish people called to be a 
chosen people? In what way were other peoples affected 
by God's call of this one race? What may we expect of 
this race in the future religiously? 

II. Characteristics of the Race 

Note their importance in the life of the world today. 
What is their present religious condition? What are. the 
dangers to be found at the present day? 

III. Religious and Moral Situation 

What is the unity of the Jewish race today? What reli- 
gious authority do they recognize? What is the basis of 
their moral life? What is their expectation in the future? 
What do they consider is their mission as a people? 

(A small book entitled ^'Judaism," by Israel Abrahams, 
will be found helpful in studying this chapter.) 



no 



CHAPTER IX 

A PROPHET WHO MISSED THE WAY 

Mohammed is always thought of as a prophet. His own 
claim was that he was the last, the climactic figure, of a suc- 
cession of prophets. Of the prophets six are eminent above 
all others: Adam, the Chosen of God; Noah, the Preacher 
of God; Abraham, the Friend of God; Moses, the Converser 
with God; Jesus, the Spirit of God; Mohammed, the Mes- 
senger of God. With the doctrine of prophets so prominent 
in his teaching, we may profitably take up the same subject 
from the standpoint of the Bible. 

Daily Readings 

First Day : Let us seek to discover the kind of a man a 
prophet must be. He is to deliver a message, a message 
which is not his own, and much depends on his personal 
character and outlook. Recall the account of the call of the 
prophet Isaiah, which closes with these words : 

And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom 
shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said. 
Here am I; send me. — Isa. 6:8. 

Early in his career Isaiah recognized that character, inner 
purity expressing itself through his lips, was essential in a 
messenger of God. 

Second Day: Isaiah's ministry was most varied. He ap- 
pears in the role of a statesman giving advice to kings. Read 
the account of the word he sent to King Hezekiah after the 
defiant speech delivered to Jerusalem by the Assyrian officer 
whose master was, invading the country. When the people 

III 



[IX-3] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

in Jerusalem were being persuaded to surrender to the Assy- 
rians, Isaiah plays the part of the statesman. 

And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to 
your master. Thus saith Jehovah, Be not afraid of 
the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the serv- 
ants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Be- 
hold, I will put a spirit in him, and he shall hear tid- 
ings, and shall return unto his own land; and I will 
cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. — Isa. 
2,7 : 6-7. 

Hezekiah in his alarm would doubtless have paid respect 
to the summons to open the gates of the city. Isaiah with 
rare wisdom sees that another course is advisable. God has 
endowed at times unselfish men like Isaiah with the ability 
■to see far more clearly than their fellows. Our picture of 
a prophet now includes purity of heart, unselfish devotion 
to his own city, the gift of the seer, and above all, the con- 
sciousness of responsibility to God for his conduct. 

Third Day : Jeremiah, the suffering prophet of the last 
days of the Israelitish nation, stands out as one of the great- 
est in the prophetic line. His call differs greatly from that 
ol Isaiah, and it has its unique lessons for us. 

Now the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying. 
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and 
before thou camest forth out of the womb I sancti- 
fied thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the 
nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord Jehovah ! behold, I 
know not how to speak; for I am a child. But Je- 
hovah said unto me. Say not, I am a child; for to 
whomsoever I shall send thee thou shalt go, and 
whatsoever I shall command thee thou shalt speak. 
Be not afraid because of them ; for I am with thee to 
deliver thee, saith Jehovah. Then Jehovah put forth 
his hand, and touched my mouth; and Jehovah said 
unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth : 
see, I have this day set thee over the nations and over . 

112 



A PROPHET WHO MISSED THE WAY [IX-4] 

the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down and to 
destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant. — 
Jer. 1 : 4-10. 

Not so much the con^iousness of sin as the fear of being 
too weak to deliver God's message fills Jeremiah with appre- 
hension. How are his fears allayed? Jeremiah was a prophet 
because the hand of God was laid heavily on him. 

And if I say, I will not make mention of him, nor 
speak any more in his name, then there is in my 
heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, 
and I am weary with forbearing, and I cannot con- 
tain. — Jer. 20: 9. 

This passage brings out forcibly what is perhaps the chief 
function of a prophet, to be one who speaks out for God, 
delivers His message. He is then primarily a preacher, a 
preacher of righteousness, a herald of doom, or a harbinger 
of good tidings. 

Fourth Day : Not only were there true prophets in Israel, 
in a number of places a class of men is mentioned called 
*'false prophets," professionals, whose only right to the title 
is their own claim. 

Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith 
Jehovah, that steal my words every one from his 
neighbor. Behold, I am against the prophets, saith 
Jehovah, that use their tongues, and say. He saith. 
Behold, I am against them that prophesy lying 
dreams, saith Jehovah, and do tell them, and cause 
my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boast- 
ing: yet I sent them not, nor commanded them; 
neither do they profit this people at all, saith Jehovah. 
—Jer. 23:30-32. 

A prophet must be judged by the fruits of his ministry, 
nobility of character, wisdom in utterance, and unselfish 
devotion to the Kingdom of God. 

113 



[IX-5] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

Fifth Day: The sincerity of a man's profession is tested 
by persecution. A noble example of constancy is found in 
the experience of Jeremiah, who would not say smooth words 
to tickle the ears of a perverse people. Read the story of his 
imprisonment. 

And the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and 
smote him, and put him in prison in the house of 
Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the 
prison. When Jeremiah was come into the dungeon- 
house, and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained 
there many days ; then Zedekiah the king sent, and 
fetched him : and the king asked him secretly in his 
house, and said, Is there any word from Jehovah? 
And Jeremiah said, There is. He said also, Thou 
shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Baby- 
lon. Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, 
Wherein have I sinned against thee, or against thy 
servants, or against this people, that ye have put me 
in prison? Where now are your prophets that 
prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon 
shall not come against you, nor against this land? — 
Jer. 37:15-19. 

How much a man can endure when he knows he is right! 

Sixth Day: The last of the line of Old Testament prophets 
is John the Baptist. Read Jesus' appraisal of this gaunt son 
of the desert, who had suddenly appeared calling on men to 
repent : 

And as these went their way, Jesus began to say 
unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye 
out into the wilderness to behold? a reed shaken with 
the wind? But what went ye out to see? a man 
clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft 
raiment are in kings' houses. But wherefore went 
ye out? to see a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and 
much more than a prophet. This is he, of whom it 
is written, 

114 



A PROPHET WHO MISSED THE WAY [IX-7] 

Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, 
Who shall prepare thy way before thee. 
Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born 
of women there hajth not arisen a greater than John 
the Baptist : yet he that is but little in the kingdom of 
heaven is greater than he. — Matt. 11:7-11. 

"Yea, and much more than a prophet" — a man living the 
simple life not as a fad, but because the call of God had 
driven him out into the desert. He was the last of that glori- 
ous band of prophets who for a thousand years and more had 
heard God's call, had found the trail, and had not missed the 
way. 

Seventh Day: Technically speaking, the order of prophets 
came to an end with the appearance of Jesus. But there are 
references to men in the Apostolic Church called "prophets." 
Read Paul's estimate of the work of such men in the Chris- 
tian Church. 

Follow after love; yet desire earnestly spiritual 
gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For he that 
speaketh in a tongue speaketh not unto men, but 
unto God ; for no man understandeth ; but in the 
spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth 
speaketh unto men edification, and exhortation, and 
consolation. He that speaketh in a tongue edifieth 
himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. 
Now I would have you all speak with tongues, but 
rather that ye should prophesy: and greater is he 
that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, 
except he interpret, that the church may receive 
edifying. — I Cor. 14:1-5. 

He places prophesying above the mysterious "gift of 
tongues." This means that the "gift" of speaking out plainly 
God's message so that men can understand it is to be prized 
highly. We speak today of Christian ministers as bearing the 
mantle of the prophets, in so far as they faithfully declare 
the message God has planted in their souls. Are they not 

115 



[IX-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

prophets also who, with broad vision and depth of life, direct 
the attention of men and women to the judgments of God 
as they see them writ large in the events of the day? 

Study for the Week 

I 

La ilah ilia' llah; Mohammed resoul Allah. This simple 
short creed of the Mohammedan world, ''There is no God 
but Allah, and Mohammed is the Prophet of Allah," re- 
sounds from ten thousand minarets five times each day. 
From the day when Mohammed appointed a crier, the sound 
of the human voice has been the summons to private devo- 
tion and to public worship in the mosque. Two hundred 
millions of Mohammedans, whether within sound of the 
voice of the Muezzin, as he is called, or out in the desert 
sands, lay down their burdens five times each day and, 
reverently facing Mecca, prostrate themselves to the ground, 
repeat the creed, and make known their requests to Allah. 

Two hundred millions of them, yes and it may be more, 
as some believe. They are found in China, in the vast table- 
lands of Central Asia, in the Dutch East Indies, where they 
are the dominant religious force, and as far to the east as 
the Sulu archipelago of our own Philippines. From India, 
west through the entire distance to the Atlantic coast of 
Africa, the Mohammedan has made a clean sweep. Afghan- 
istan, Persia, Arabia — the ''Cradle of Islam" — the Turkish 
Empire, Egypt, and all the states as far as the extreme north- 
west corner of Africa, are almost solidly Moslem. The ex- 
ceptions are the remnants of so-called Oriental Christian 
churches, like the Armenian Church in Turkey and the Coptic 
Church in Egypt. South of these north African states 
stretches the mighty Sahara, whose nomadic peoples are all 
followers of the Prophet. And south of the Sahara is the 
populous Sudan, where the tribes not now Mohammedan are 
falling rapidly an easy prey to the emissaries of Islam. Here 
and in the East Indies Mohammedanism is advancing most 

ii6 



A PROPHET WHO MISSED THE WAY [IX-s] 

rapidly, making converts and capturing tribe after tribe. The 
advance is so swift that, up to the present time, Christianity 
has not been able to thwart the progress. In Africa especially 
the question must be asked, Is the continent to be Moham- 
medan or Christian? Paganism cannot hold its own before 
any higher faith, so the question has narrowed itself down to 
this simple alternative, Mohammed or Christ. What is the 
significance of this alternative? 

II 

The chief factor in Mohammedanism is Mohammed. To 
believe in him is as necessary as to believe in Allah. So we 
must try to understand Mohammed if we would know his 
religion. Islam is not a "bolt out of the blue" ; it was not 
born full-fledged out of the brain of Mohammed, as his 
followers still fondly believe. The investigations of European 
scholars enable us to fill in many details concerning the 
Arabs before Mohammed's time. One feature in the picture 
is altogether favorable to Mohammed. He is shown to have 
been a true reformer. He made war against the prevailing 
infanticide, particularly of the girl babies; he abolished the 
blood- feud between tribes by proclaiming a new brotherhood; 
he was relentless in his opposition to polytheism and the use 
of idols, and he succeeded in establishing the worship of one 
God, Allah, in the land. 

Allah was a well-known God in Arabia before Mohammed's 
time. What Mohammed did was to raise him to the position 
of sole God of the universe, denying the existence of all 
others. Mecca was already a "Mecca" when Mohammed was 
born. To this city as a religious center the tribes flocked at 
certain seasons and performed their rites. Mohammed seized 
upon these practices, gave them a new interpretation by con- 
necting them with the name of Abraham, and made pilgrim- 
age to Mecca and the exact performance of a striking ritual 
an essential part of the faith. Not only were these features 
taken over from the existing heathenism; there were a few 

117 



[IX-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

men in Arabia who, it would seem, had lost faith in the old 
paganism and were longing for a purer faith. Mohammed 
seems to have been in touch with these men. Then there 
were scattered over the land communities of Jews and of 
Christians, from whom, particularly the Jews, Mohammed 
picked up many things which he incorporated in his religion. 

Ill 

Mohammed was born in Mecca in the year 570, and died \n 
Medina in 62,2 A. D. He came of a well-known and influ- 
ential family, but, being left an orphan at an early age, was 
brought up first by his grandfather, and then by his uncle 
Abu Talib. These experiences left a deep impression upon 
a very impressionable young boy. To the very end of his life 
he was most kind to the widow and the orphan. Not much is 
known of his boyhood and young manhood. It is probable 
that he was subject to attacks of the nature of epileptic seiz- 
ures. Throughout his whole life Mohammed gives indications 
of being not quite normal. As one writer put it, he is a 
''pathological case." He was called by his companions Al 
Amin, the Trusty or Faithful. Why or when we do not know, 
but the giving of the name alone would indicate that he was 
regarded favorably by his fellows. 

When he was about twenty-five he was recommended to his 
kinswoman Khadijah, a well-to-do widow, as one to be 
trusted to conduct her affairs upon one of the caravan jour- 
neys which were the source of Mecca's commercial prosperity. 
He accepted the mission, performed it successfully, and so 
pleased his employer that she offered him her hand in mar- 
riage. Though she was fifteen years his senior, Mohammed 
accepted her offer and they were married. For twenty-five 
years they lived happily together, Khadijah being his only 
wife. Until the time of his marriage Mohammed had been 
of necessity a man of affairs. The old epithet, "The Camel 
Driver of Mecca,'* may be more or less truly descriptive of 
him. But now, married to a woman of means, he had leisure. 

118 



A PROPHET WHO MISSED THE WAY [IX-s] 

Dreamer that he was, he now had ample opportunity to in- 
dulge his tastes. This fact made possible the rise of the new 
religion. 

IV 

At some time about the year 6io, while Mohammed and his 
family were seeking to escape the torrid and enervating heat 
of Mecca on the heights of Mt. Hira, not far away, Mo- 
hammed received what is known as the first revelation. To 
us it sounds curious enough. According to tradition this is 
the word which came to him, as recorded in the 96th Sura or 
chapter of the Koran. 

^'Recite thou, in the name of thy Lord who created; — 
Created man from Clots of Blood : — 
Recite thou ! For thy Lord is the most Beneficent, 
Who hath taught the use of the pen; — 
Hath taught Man that which he knoweth not." 

He is told to proclaim something, in the name of the great 
God, one of whose recent benefactions was that he had taught 
the Arabs reading and writing. Very indefinite and very 
inconsequential, we say. We must judge, however, by the 
effect on Mohammed. He was greatly agitated, his whole 
being was profoundly moved, he could never be the same man 
again. Is this all that was to be revealed? That was the 
question Mohammed asked over and over again. His mental 
condition became such that he is said to have attempted to 
take his own life, and was only prevented from doing so by 
his good wife, Khadijah. She was his stay during this 
period when no further revelation came. She assured him 
that God had in reality spoken to him, and that the voice 
would come again. 

And sure enough another message came. Two years are 
said by many to have passed before the silence was broken. 
Then came the words recorded at the opening of the 74th 
Sura. 

119 



[IX-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

"O thou, enwrapped in thy mantle! 
Arise and warn ! 
Thy Lord — magnify Him! 
Thy raiment — purify it ! . 
The abomination — flee it ! 
And bestow not favors that thou mayest receive again with 

increase ; 
And for thy Lord wait thou patiently. 
For when there shall be a trump on the trumpet, 
That shall be a distressful day, 
A day, to the Infidels, devoid of ease." 

From these words Mohammed took it that he was now 
commissioned to "arise and warn." And the main contents 
of the message are given, too — he is to magnify Allah his 
Lord ; he is not to consider what men may say or do ; and he 
is to herald "the day," the "distressful" day of judgment, 
which is surely coming. This describes quite faithfully the 
mission of Mohammed during the period he spent in Mecca. 
He was a "Warner," the sounds of the Day of Judgment are 
always ringing in his ears. The Almighty Allah is seated on 
his throne of power, jealous of his prerogatives, and de- 
manding utter submission and implicit obedience. Hence the 
name of the religion, Islam, which means "to submit"; hence 
the designation of the individual Mohammedan, Moslem, 
"one who submits." It is, according to the new prophet, a 
religion of submission to Allah; from this center all Moham- 
med's preaching radiates. 

V 

Now for ten or twelve years Mohammed preached his doc- 
trine to all who would listen. As the years passed a small 
group of influential men gathered around him, men who in 
the years to come were to play an important role in the his- 
tory of the religion, but for the most part the Moslems were 
from the poor and the slave class. They were so seriously 
persecuted that twice a group found it advisable to go to 

120 



A PROPHET WHO MISSED THE WAY [IX-s] 

Abyssinia to find refuge. Mohammed himself received the 
protection of his uncle, Abu Talib, and thus escaped. So 
serious was the opposition of the Meccans that it became more 
evident as the years passed that his mission had no chance of 
success in his own city/ 

From the time the second revelation came Mohammed 
seems never to have faltered in his belief that he was God's 
messenger. Not only m the days of success in Medina, but 
during the period of persecution and opposition in Mecca, 
he was ever the same, the uncompromising herald of God's 
judgment and of his own high office as God's messenger. 
There is much evidence on which to rest an argument for 
Mohammed's sincerity during these years in Mecca. His 
was the spirit of the reformer, of the genuine preacher of 
righteousness and the wrath of God on all disobedience. 
After the long period of which we have spoken when no 
revelation was granted, a complete change takes place. There 
is a steady flow of revelations until the end of his life. When 
he had died, these fragments were collected and brought to- 
gether into a book which we know as the Koran. The mean- 
ing of the word is "what is recited," the participle of the very 
first word which came to him at the first revelation. So the 
Koran is simply the collection of these inspired utterances 
of Mohammed. In the Meccan days the utterances were 
short and energetic outbursts of poetic fire. He is the "Poet- 
warner," and he preaches his message with vigor. He be- 
lieved that as occasion demanded God sent him the appro- 
priate message by the hand of the Angel Gabriel. 

About the year 620 Mohammed suffered the loss of two 
friends. One was his protector, Abu Talib, and the other was 
his wife, Khadijah. There was little now to hold him in 
Mecca, and he began to seek a suitable center from which 
he might preach his religion with more hope of success. Two 
years passed, before the step was taken. In the memorable 
year 622, the year one in the Mohammedan calendar, oc- 
curred the Hegira, or "Flight." Mohammed left Mecca and 
secretly made his way to Medina, a city about 250 miles due 

121 



[IX-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

north. The people of Medina, as well as his own followers 
who had preceded him, received him cordially. Here Mo- 
hammed settled down and lived the remainder of his life. 



VI 

The Hegira marks an era. Mohammed is no longer a 
mere preacher of righteousness, a warner; he is now a ruler, 
an administrator with civic problems on his hands and a reli- 
gious community to build up and make a force in Arabia. 
The community was frequently almost in destitution in the 
early days, so Mohammed would send out and even accom- 
pany foraging expeditions, whose purpose was to waylay 
caravans and secure booty. Our immediate reaction is that 
this is sorry business for one who claims to be a prophet of 
God. The hand of necessity is laid on him, one says, but still 
there is incongruity here. 

Mohammed's eager desire from the beginning was to be 
recognized in his own city. Stout resistance was offered for 
some years, but as time passed Mohammed's prestige rose so 
steadily that the only thing for the Meccans to do was to 
open the gates of the city and let him in. Mohammed 
entered Mecca in triumph. It was a victory without blood- 
shed or loss. Mohammed had become the first man of 
Arabia. 

At first Mohammed sought an alliance of friendship with 
the Jews, but it was not long before such a relationship was 
found impossible. Of three leading Jewish tribes in the vicin- 
ity of Medina, two were cruelly banished from the country 
and the last had a more tragic end. The men were beheaded 
in cold blood in the center of Medina, and the women and 
children were sold into slavery. Again it is said that these 
severe measures were justified by the unfriendliness and the 
treachery of the Jews. But when it is remembered that Mo- 
hammed was posing all this time as a God-inspired prophet of 
righteousness, the case grows desperate. 

If his treatment of the Jews deserves such condemnation, 

122 



A PROPHET WHO MISSED THE WAY [IX-s] 

what of his relation with women? During the lifetime of 
Khadijah, she was his one wife and he seemed satisfied and 
happy. But as soon as she was taken away from him, he 
married one woman after another until in the end he had 
about a dozen. As much«as we recoil from such gross polyg- 
amy, it was not uncommon in Arabia, and his Arab followers 
might not have given the matter a second thought. He 
found slavery, polygamy, and divorce in the land when he 
came, and never thought of doubting their right to continue. 
He even mitigated the condition of slaves and gave women 
certain legal rights they had never possessed before. 

But this is not the whole story. We have many evidences, 
both in the traditions and in the Koran, that Mohammed 
transgressed even the ideals and customs of that lax age, 
and was able to save his face and hold the admiration of his 
followers by recourse to the dreadful expedient of a special 
revelation from. God. His marriage to the wife of his 
adopted son Zeid, who divorced her in order that she might 
become the wife of Alohammed, was so gross an infringe- 
ment of the proprieties in the estimation of the Arabs that 
the justifying 'revelations in the Koran are very careful to 
make his act the result of a direct command of God. Only 
considerations of space and the desire to draw the veil as 
soon as possible prevent a fuller expose of Mohammed in this 
sad and unhappy role, 

vn 

Such was Arabia's prophet, such the man now pointed to as 
a paragon of excellence, such the example now held up as 
worthy of admiration and imitation. Two events, crucial in 
the character of Mohammed, help to explain the strange para- 
dox of his character. One was the death of his wife Khadijah. 
His life while she lived was exemplary, as far as we know ; 
the debasement of polygamy did not touch him during these 
years. As soon as her restraining influence was gone he 
began his downward course. The other great event was 
Mohammed's assumption of the powers of a worldly potentate. 

123 



[IX-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

He became autocratic and vindictive. His character could 
not stand such an increase of authority. He fell from the 
high estate of a prophet to the position of an unscrupulous 
despot, seeking by every means in his power to enhance his 
own authority and suppress all rivals. As much as we feel 
the strange anomaly of the situation, we are compelled by 
the facts to hold that the Medina period is vastly different 
from the earlier Meccan period. It is not the same Mo- 
hammed. The prophet started out on the right trail, but he 
had missed his way. There is a possible tragedy in being a 
genius, a tragedy in being able to cast one's spell over mil- 
lions of human beings for so many generations, when the 
character of the genius falls so far below the high standard 
which men should set for their leaders. 

Suggestions for Thought and Discussion 

I. The Prophet in the Bible 

What was the business of the prophet in Old Testament 
religion? What the marks of a true prophet? How did he 
differ from the priest? What need is there for men of 
the prophetic spirit in our modern life? 

II. The Prophet in Islam 

Note well the important place held by Mohammed in his 
religion. What was the secret of his influence? Recount 
the factors which he contributed to make Islam what it was. 

III. The Prophet as a Man 

Contrast the admirable and unlovely traits in the life of 
Mohammed. Why did not his moral delinquency turn his 
followers away from him? What about him kept them 
loyal through all his inconsistencies? What conclusion have 
you reached relative to his sincerity? 

("Muhammad and His Power," by P. DeLacy Johnstone, 
will serve as a good source for further facts concerning 
the Prophet.) 

124 



' CHAPTER X 

THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH 

The "eternal truth" of the Mohammedan creed is that 
there is but one God. Islam, Judaism, and Christianity- 
are the three great monotheistic religions of history. It 
might appear that to say a religion is monotheistic is to say- 
all that is necessary about the God of that religion, but a 
study of Islam will show that it is altogether inadequate. 
What kind of a God do we take the one God of the universe 
to be? This is as necessary as to ask if he is the only God. 
So now we use the opportunity offered to make a brief study 
of the kind of a God we have presented to us in the Bible. 

Daily Readings 

First Day : God is one and there is no other power in the 
universe to be compared with Him. To arrive at such a 
conclusion was an achievement. Many centuries passed 
before the Hebrew prophets were able to lift the people to 
that high level. Jehovah had long been their God, but He was 
their own and did not belong to any other people. A curi- 
ous passage relative to David shows how such a belief works 
out in practice. 

And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy 
voice, my son David? And David said. It is my 
voice, my lord, O king. And he said. Wherefore doth 
my lord pursue after his servant? for what have I 
done? or what evil is in my hand? Naw therefore, 
I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of 
his servant, If it be Jehovah that hath stirred thee up 
against me, let him accept an offering: but if it be 
the children of men, cursed be they before Jehovah; 
for they have driven me out this day that I should 

125 



IX-2] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

not cleave unto the inheritance of Jehovah, saying, 
Go, serve other gods. — I Sam. 26:17-19. 

David^s interpretation of Saul's actions is that in driving 
him out of the land of Israel he was sending him out of Je- 
hovah's jurisdiction and saying, "Go, serve other gods." 

Read the closing verses of the story of the cleansing of 
Naaman the Syrian, when he comes back to offer thanks to 
Elisha for his recovery. 

And Naaman said. If not, yet, I pray thee, lee there 
be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth; 
for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt- 
offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto Je- 
hovah. — II Kings 5 : 17. 

"Though Jehovah has revealed Himself to the conscience 
of Naaman as the only genuine God, yet He can properly be 
worshiped only on Israelitish soil." 

Second Day : When Amos, the herdsman of Tekoa, came 
walking through the streets of Bethel with his warning, 
"Thus saith Jehovah," a new note was to be heard. The 
message God had to speak was not for Judah and Israel 
alone, but for Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, and 
Moab. Jehovah was God not of Israel alone, but of other 
nations as well. 

Are ye not as the children of the Ethiopians unto 
me, O children of Israel? saith Jehovah. Have not I 
brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt, and the 
Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir? 
Behold, the eyes of the Lord Jehovah are upon the 
sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the 
face of the earth ; save that I will not utterly destroy 
the house of Jacob, saith Jehovah. — Amos 9:7, 8. 

Third Day : In the later prophets the thought is worked 
out with great power and beauty. The Prophet of the Exile 
returns to the theme time and again. 

126 



THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH [X-4I 

Thus saith Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his 
Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts : I am the first, and I am 
the last; and besides me there is no God. And who, 
as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order 
for me, since I established the ancient people? and 
the things that are coming, and that shall come to 
pass, let them declare. Fear ye not, neither be afraid : 
have I not declared unto thee of old, and showed 
it? and ye are my witnesses. Is there a God besides 
me? yea, there is no Rock; I know not any. — Isa. 
44 : 6-8. 

Here is monotheism full-fledged and majestic. There is no 
God except Jehovah. 

And this God is omnipotent. He holds all things in the 
hollow of His hand. 

Thus saith God Jehovah, he that created the 
heavens, and stretched them forth ; he that spread 
abroad the earth and that which cometh out of it; 
he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and 
spirit to them that walk therein. — Isa. 42 : 5. 

I have made the earth, and created man upon it: 
I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens ; 
and all their host have I commanded. — Isa. 45 : 12. 

Fourth Day: God was not only great and powerful. He 
had a distinctive character. He is first of all the Holy One 
of Israel. 

For I am Jehovah your God : sanctify yourselves 
therefore, and be ye holy ; for I am holy : neither 
shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creep- 
ing thing that moveth upon the earth. For I am 
Jehovah that brought you up out of the land of 
Egypt, to be your God : ye shall therefore be holy, 
for I am holy. — Lev. 11: 44, 45. 

But Jehovah of hosts is exalted in justice, and God 
the Holy One is sanctified in righteousness. — Isa. 

5:16. 

127 



[X-5] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

God is just and righteous. He is not capricious, He can 
always be counted on to be true to Himself. 

He is also kind and merciful to the children of men. Read 
the whole of the 103rd Psalm, of which we quote here a 
few verses. 

- He hath not dealt with us after our sins, 
Nor rewarded us after our iniquities. 
For as the heavens are high above the earth, 
So great is his lovingkindness toward them that fear him. 
As far as the east is from the west. 
So far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 
Like as a father pitieth his children. 
So Jehovah pitieth them that fear him. 
For he knoweth our frame; 
He remembereth that we are dust. — Psalm 103 : 10-14. 

Fifth Day : The great contribution made by Jesus was to 
show God as Father. The 103rd Psalm speaks of God as 
being like a father, but Jesus filled the conception with a 
meaning never known before. 

Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love 
thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy : but I say unto 
you, Love your enemies, and pray for them that per- 
secute you ; that ye may be sons of your Father who 
is in heaven : for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil 
and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the 
unjust— Matt. 5: 43-45- 

A new relation of intimacy with God is made possible by 
Jesus Christ. In a new sense men belong to God's family. 

Sixth Day: Every feature in the character of God as de- 
picted in the Old Testament is emphasized in the New. He 
is the one God, Lord of heaven and earth, the one high and 
lifted-up, who hates sin and loves righteousness. He is all- 
wise and merciful and gracious. But other aspects are 
introduced. 

128 



THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH [X-7] 

The God that made the world and all things therein, 
he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in 
temples made with hands ; neither is he served by 
men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing 
he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all 
things ; and he made of one every nation of men to 
dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined 
their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habi- 
tation ; that they should seek God, if haply they might 
feel after him and find him, though he is not far 
from each one of us : for in him we live, and move, 
and have our being; as certain even of your own 
poets have said. 

For we are also his offspring. — Acts 17 : 24-28. 

No chasm separates man from God. 

"Closer is he than breathing. 
Nearer than hands and feet.'* 

We are made in His image ; we live in Him ; we are to be 
like Him as we see Him in Jesus Christ, for God is a Christ- 
like God. 

Seventh Day: The climax of the whole revelation is to 
be found in the conception of God's love. Repeat to your- 
self the well-known words of John 3 : 16. It was God's love 
that sent Jesus Christ to men. Also read two of Paul's 
mighty passages : 

But God commendeth his own love toward us, in 
that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 
Rom. 5:8. 

Nay, in all these things we are more than con- 
querors through him that loved us. For I am per- 
suaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor 
principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, 
nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other 
creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of 
God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. — Rom. 
8 : 37-39. 

129 



[X-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

In Christ God's love is to be seen full and free. As we 
might expect, we must go to the writings of John for cer- 
tain characteristic utterances about the deeper things of 
God which are not to be found elsewhere. 

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of 
God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, 
and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not 
God; for God is love. Herein was the love of God 
manifested in us, that God hath sent his only be- 
gotten Son into the world that we might live through 
him. — I John 4 : 7-9. 

So then, God not only loves, He is Love ; it is of the very 
essence of His nature. And we may know that we abide in 
Him if we possess His Spirit, and can that Spirit be any 
other than the Spirit of Love? 

Study for the Week 



The faith of the Arabian prophet is alert and aggressive. Its 
followers believe in its divine origin and in its destiny. There 
must be something about the religion to influence men in 
this fashion, and we must try to discover what it is. 

Take the case of a pagan tribe in the Sudan in Central 
Africa — what is the appeal of Islam there? In the very first 
contact with the Mohammedan trader or teacher, the pagan is 
conscious of his own inferiority. The Moslem may be 
haughty and overbearing, but this only heightens the respect 
in which he is held — such an attitude is an evidence of 
superior knowledge and ability. Then the Moslem dresses 
in such a manner as to increase his dignity in the eyes of the 
simple pagans. He treats with disdain their religious prac- 
tices, and performs his own religious ceremonies with such 
regularity, precision, and awesome reverence that the natives 
cannot fail to be impressed. More than that, the Moslem 
stranger is not so far removed in customs and culture but 
that the pagan can understand him. The Moslem will inter- 

130 



THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH [X-s] 

marry with the natives and thus establish a strong bond 
between them. He holds out the advantage of belonging to 
a community scattered over the earth in which all men are 
brothers. The Moslem lives on a level appreciably higher 
than the pagan, and it influences him greatly. The fact that 
Islam tolerates polygamy and divorce is of no consequence, 
for no other ideal has ever entered the native's mind. He 
may at times be surprised at the immorality of the stranger, 
but that is easily counterbalanced by so many other things, 
that it makes little difference in the final decision. In a 
short time the village is imitating the Moslem in his worship, 
and reciting the creed as he does. They have made the 
transition and are Mohammedans ; they have put away their 
pagan ceremonies and pagan deities, and are worshipers of 
Allah, and Allah alone. 

Can they be counted on to remain loyal Moslems? Usually, 
even though little intelligence may accompany their worship. 
Of one thing the Moslem missionary is sure, the second 
generation will be stanch believers, "dyed in the wool." They 
have an advantage over their fathers, they know far better 
the meaning of what they are doing. Now these people are 
lifted to a level a little higher than the one they had occupied 
— there can be no doubt of that. The difficulty is that once on 
the new level they remain stationary. They are deaf to all 
appeals made by Christian missionaries, whose standard is so 
much higher. Instead of Islam being a half-way house be- 
tween paganism and Christianity, it is a barrier between the 
two and increases the problem of lifting the backward 
Moslemized pagan peoples tenfold. 

II 

What is there about the faith itself which furnishes reli- 
gious satisfaction to its followers? One thing must be 
emphasized, that there is nothing which calls for privation 
or sacrifice. Mohammed knew human nature well and ac- 
commodated his teaching to the weaknesses as well as to the 
aspirations of mankind. 

131 



[X-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

The practice of Islam rests on what are called the five 
Pillars of the Faith. We must know what they are if we 
would understand what being a Moslem day by day means. 

1. The repetition of the creed, "There is no God but Allah, 
and Mohammed is the prophet of Allah." This is repeated 
times without number each day by every Mohammedan. It 
is a part of the call of the Muezzin as he announces the hours 
of worship. It is the test of loyalty, and furnishes a signi- 
ficant declaration of a man*s conversion to the faith. If he 
asserts that he believes there is no God but Allah and that 
Mohammed is his prophet, he thereby proclaims himself a 
Mohammedan. No questions are asked as to his intentions 
or sincerity — he is a Moslem and a member of the brother- 
hood. 

2. Prayer, at five stated times each day, as well as at any 
other times when need arises. These five prayers are defi- 
nitely prescribed and are one of the chief outward marks of 
the religion. They occur as follows: the first just before 
sunrise, the second at high noon, the third in what we would 
call mid-afternoon, the fourth just after sunset, and the 
fifth soon after night has closed. All in sound of the 
Muezzin's voice are summoned at the appropriate times ; 
others far out in the desert determine the times for them- 
selves by simple rules which people who carry no timepieces 
know so well. At each of the five times, a form of worship 
is carried out, a ceremony fixed with great care by the 
prophet himself. A prayer rug or mat is spread on the 
ground and, turning toward Mecca, each worshiper proceeds 
to bow himself low before Allah and to utter the prescribed 
prayers. The actual prayer is always preceded by the most 
careful ablution, with water usually, but with clean desert 
sand if no water is to be had. The whole ceremony can be 
learned easily, though it would be difficult to describe it 
accurately. 

Who can say that the constant practice of these daily 
prayers has not done as much to preserve Islam intact as any 
other single thing? Moslems not only believe in their reli- 

132 



THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH [X-s] 

gion, they act it out in prostration and prayer five times each 
day, without fail and without any deviation. The effect is 
heightened when all together in the mosque, led by a prayer 
leader, arranged in long regular rows, go through the cere- 
mony with the precision of a West Point dress parade. Yes, 
formality and mechanical ritualism to be sure — that is our 
criticism thousands of miles removed from the actual facts. 
The impression made on the careful observer is that real awe 
and reverence characterize the proceeding. At the conclusion 
of the service the worshipers slip away in solemn hush. Allah 
is a reality to them — no one can doubt that who has seen 
them pray. 

Closely connected with prayer in Islam is the use made of 
the Koran. The Moslem now believes that the Koran was 
handed down to Mohammed as need arose, but that it is 
really eternal. They assert that it is uncreated and has 
always existed as a finished product at the right hand of 
Allah. Can any theory of inspiration be more drastic than 
this? The Sacred Book is read and recited with great dili- 
gence and very frequently. To quote from an article by 
Theodore Noldeke, "And since the use of the Koran in public 
worship, in schools, and otherwise is much more extensive 
than, for example, the reading of the Bible in most Christian 
countries, it has been truly described as the most widely- 
read book in existence." How does that statement sound in 
our ears? . 

xA.nd what is this Koran, this book of Mohammed which 
dominates the minds of so many human beings? With all 
we may say of its poetic beauty in the earlier Suras, and of 
the blazing denunciations of any conception save that of 
God's absolute unity ; despite its rhythmic flow in the original, 
the book is to us rather dull reading. Carlyle, not without a 
touch of exaggeration, wrote of it : *T must say, it is as 
toilsome reading as I ever undertook. . . . Nothing but 
a sense of duty could carry any European through." About 
the length of our New Testament, written in Arabic, the 
"Language of the Angels," it is not to be desecrated by 

133 



[X-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

translation into profane tongues. Composed with a rhythmic 
swing, and regarded as the standard of all literary excel- 
lence, the Koran binds together the whole Moslem world in 
language as well as in religion. 

3. Almsgiving. Mohammed never ceased to inculcate the 
duty of succoring the poor, especially the orphan and the 
widow. In the early days, when in the Moslem world church 
and state were one, the matter of charity was carefully regu- 
lated and was placed in the care of state officials. Now that 
most Moslems are under the government of Christian powers, 
almsgiving has become of necessity a matter of the individual 
conscience, yet faithful Moslems continue the practice of 
relieving want and suffering as opportunity offers. 

4. Fasting, particularly during the month of Ramadan. 
The regulation is that not a drop of water or a particle of 
food shall pass the lips of a Mohammedan during the day- 
time throughout this month. Of course, exception is made 
for sick people and those who may be in a battle or military 
campaign. Not a thing must be taken after the time when 
one can distinguish a white thread from a black by daylight. 
Such is the regulation and so it is observed. Observed? 
Yes, in the letter, but surely not in the spirit, by hosts of 
Moslems. They make this month the greatest month of 
feasting and revelling in the whole year^fasting all day 
and feasting all night — so that in Persia medical missionaries 
assert that they have more cases of indigestion and kindred 
troubles to deal with in Ramadan than at any other time! 

5. Pilgrimage to Mecca, called the Hajj. Once in his life- 
time every Mohammedan is supposed to make the pilgrimage 
to the Holy City, Mecca, and also to Medina, the City of the 
Prophet. It is not an absolutely binding rule, and many of 
course do not go ; but it is the ambition of everyone to be 
able some day to make the pilgrimage. He is honored when 
he comes back and is called a Haji, one who has made the pil- 
grimage. Mecca and the pilgrimage stand for the unity of 
Islam. There a Moslem from China, for example, mingles 
with his fellow-Moslems from the west coast of Africa. 

134 



THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH [X-s] 

This experience is to him the symbol of the unity of the 
Brotherhood. It is real to him, has he not seen it with his 
own eyes? 

Ill 

And now let us penetrate a little deeper. We have taken 
a look at the outward observances of the religion, let us see 
what a Mohammedan believes. Again we revert to the creed, 
"There is no God but Allah." Here is the core of the teach- 
ing — the doctrine of God fills about nine-tenths of all their 
Moslem theological systems. And the first thing to ^say 
about Allah is that he is the only God, the sole creator and 
sustainer of the universe. Here is monotheism as. clear and 
as uncompromising as in Judaism or in Christianity. The 
unity of God makes the religion universal, for there is but 
one God and he is the God of all. The hope filling the breast 
of every Mohammedan is that his religion may extend farther 
and farther until it has become the religion of mankind. 
Coming as he did six centuries after Jesus Christ, Mohammed 
is the last of the prophets, the consummation of a religious 
development in which Jesus played an important though 
subordinate part. 

Allah, this one God of the universe, is almighty. Nothing 
can withstand his power ; he can do what he will. No re- 
straint of any kind is to be thought of. This leads to two 
practical results. One is the fatalism which dominates the 
thinking of the Mohammedan world. There can be no 
question that Mohammed himself held to at least a certain 
amount of freewill in man, and at the same time to the 
irresistibility of God's eternal decrees. This is not hard to 
understand when we remember that he was no theologian and 
was incapable of forming a system of thought. He simply 
spoke out what was in his mind at the time, and did not 
trouble himself about inconsistencies, even if he saw them. 
But as the Koran advances, determinism becomes more and 
more evident. This trend became distinctive of Islam and is 
now well-nigh universal. Man is in the hands of an Al- 

135 



[X-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

mighty Power who can do with him as he wills. Man's part 
is to submit in humble acceptance of all that comes. Hence 
Islam became the name of the religion — it is submission to 
the almighty will of Allah, who determines all things, 
even down to the most insignificant details. Like a pall the 
thick cloud of fatalism hangs over the Islamic world, making 
moral enthusiasm impossible and cutting the nerve of spiritual 
aspiration. 

' The other result which flows from the doctrine of God's 
unlimited power is that Allah's almightiness is capricious. 
He does what he will, uncontrolled by any other influence. 
Righteousness and love do not determine the direction Allah's 
will should take. That would be to limit him, and even though 
it is an inner limitation, one in his own nature, the Moham- 
medan will have none of it. What has really happened is 
that, without realizing it, Islam has transferred a typical, 
irresponsible Eastern potentate to the heavens, endowed him 
with irresistible power, and called him God. So high is 
Allah above all his creation, so unique and unapproachable, 
that a great chasm separates him even from man, the highest 
of his creatures. To say that man is created in the image 
of God is blasphemy to a Moslem. That were to drag God 
down to man's level, and that is too dreadful to contemplate. 
Man must be kept entirely separate from God, not a child 
and an heir of his glory, but only a slave whose duty is un- 
questioning obedience. Man is not spiritual as God is; he 
is carnal and carnal must he always remain. Everything in 
the teaching is made to suit this conception. If he be carnal, 
man can never hope to share the divine nature. All he has 
to do is to obey God and as a reward of his obedience will 
be allowed to enter paradise, a paradise devised to give him 
the sensuous and sensual gratifications which he desired on 
earth and which are the only kind he is capable of under- 
standing. Islam is surely a religion of the natural man, unre- 
lieved by any lofty spiritual idealism. 

And yet, with these palpable weaknesses, Islam continues 
to lead men spellbound through their lives. They see none 

136 



THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH [X-s] 

of these things as defects, and actually turn on Christianity 
and point the finger of scorn at a doctrine of God which they 
look upon as far inferior. Like the blazing sun in the desert 
wastes of Arabia, so^ Allah, the divine Sun in the heavens, 
blinds men to all else. He is all powerful; they care little 
about other things, provided he is allowed to remain in the 
heavens alone, with all power and dominion as his exclusive 
possession. 

IV 

But no men, even Moslems, can be confined within the 
compass of a doctrine, if the limits are too narrow for an 
expanding spiritual life. Such is the case in the religion of 
the Prophet. The real spiritual life of the religion is to be 
found among the mystics, who are organized in what are 
called Darvish orders. They are widely scattered in the 
Mohammedan world. This mystic longing is an expression of 
the desire to experience union with God, and all the exercises 
are calculated to produce that effect. Thus the human heart 
is seen to repudiate the cleavage between God and man which 
the Moslem orthodox theologians have asserted so vehe- 
mently. Great saints have arisen in Islam who know that they 
have had communion with God, and their memory is highly 
venerated and their graves visited by large companies of 
people. This phase of Islam is the key to understand the 
inner meaning of the religion and its vitality, for here there 
is life and the possibility of progress. 



Islam is in a serious plight. She is tied fast to an obsolete 
theory of the universe, to religious customs and teachings 
which refuse to fit into the modern view of the world, to a 
book whose claims to originality cannot be substantiated, and 
to a character, the great prophet himself, who was only a 
man and whose deeds and ideals cannot be defended in a 
world of growing moral convictions. Add to this the pres- 
ence of slavery and the sanction of polygamy and almost 

137 



[X-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

unlimited divorce, which still obtain in all Moslem commu- 
nities, and the burden must prove unbearable. Think of the 
indictment against Mohammed, who, because of his ungov- 
ernable jealousy, caused his own and all wives in Islam to be 
secluded in their own homes and behind a veil when they 
appeared on the streets. Women in Islam must live in an- 
other world from the men. All advantages are denied them; 
they live for their husbands and have little or no value as 
human beings fit for noble lives and companionships. 

Cannot Islam change? Can she not throw off the weight 
of tradition and emerge into the light of modern day? It is 
a real question, which many have answered with a decided 
negative. A reformed Islam is no longer Islam, they say. 
But the fact is, Islam has changed much in the past and 
will doubtless do so in the future. Savings-banks are in 
direct opposition to the Koran, which forbids all interest on 
money, and life insurance is blasphemy in that it presumes 
to plan for the future, which should be left entirely in God's 
hands ; yet savings-banks and life insurance are both making- 
headway among the more progressive Mohammedans. 
Nothing can retard the march of events, not even religious 
conservatism, when men begin to desire better things. And 
men are beginning to feel new desires and are seeking to 
accommodate their theories to them. What the end will be 
no one can say, but Islam will not continue the same. But can 
Islam ever come to her own religiously with Mohammed in 
the lead? That is a question the Moslems must settle. In 
the meantime we who have Jesus Christ, have we any duty? 
That is a question we must settle. 

Suggestions for Thought and Discussion 

I. What Kind of God Have We? 

What were the early ideas of the Hebrews about God? 
How do they differ from complete monotheism? What 
did Jesus add to the old conception of God? What are the 
most important elements in God's character? 

138 



THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH [X-s] 

II. Islam as a World Force 

What is the secret of Islam's ability to make converts 
today? What does Islam do with a people when it has 
secured their allegiance? What is your judgment of Islam 
when compared with your ideas of what a religion should 
be? 

III. Islam in Theory and Practice 

Keep in mind the "five pillars" of the faith. What is 
good and what questionable in each? In what respects 
does the Allah of Islam differ from the Father-God of 
Christianity? What connection is there between the fatal- 
ism of Islam and the freedom of Christianity and the 
conceptions of God on which they rest? 

. ("Aspects of Islam," by Dr. D. B. Macdonald, may well be 
used in connection with this chapter.) 



139 



CHAPTER XI 

THE DREAM OF RELIGION GOME TRUE 

After our study of some of the living religions of man- 
kind we come in the end to our own faith, Christianity. 
It is not at all strange if, in our admiration, we feel that 
in Christianity the dreams men have had of what religion 
might do have actually come true. What we should do in 
these last studies is to apply ourselves to discover what right 
we have to make such high claims. What does Christianity 
offer to men in seeking their allegiance? What may a man 
expect in his own life when he comes to Christianity and 
seeks its help? In all frankness, is our confidence in Chris- 
tianity justified? 

Daily Readings 

First Day: Is there anything more in a man than we see 
when we meet him on the street? 

And God said. Let us make man in our image, after 
our likeness. . . . And God created, man in his 
own image, in the image of God created he him. — 
Gen. 1 : 26^ 2y. 

Made in God's own image; animated with God's own 
^'breath of life," as we are told in the more picturesque ac- 
count in the second chapter of Genesis ; given dominion over 
all creatures; and having it said of him, as of all other parts 
of creation, that he was "good" — surely man had an envi- 
able origin and an ideal relation to God, as these ancient 
records maintain. What do you think is meant by being made 
in the image of God? How far do you think man can 
lose or has lost this stamp of the divine nature? 

140 



DREAM OF RELIGION COME TRUE [XI-2] 

Second Day: But as we see men day by day, something is 
surely the matter. Man is out of joint with himself, with his 
fellows, and with God. The Bible is full of references to 
man's pitiable condition. 

There is none righteous, no, not one; 

There is none that understandeth, 

There is none that seeketh after God; 

They have all turned aside, they are together be- 
come unprofitable; 

There is none that doeth good, no, not so much as 
one. — Rom. 3 : 10-12. 

The indictment is very severe — is it too severe? What 
would you say is man's malady ? Recall the answer as stated 
in the form of a vivid story in the third chapter of Genesis, 
where the first temptation was to be disobedient to God. 

Third Day: Yet with all this, man possesses dignity and 
is prized as worthy of honor. He is still a child of God. 

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers. 

The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? 

And the son of man, that thou visitest him? 

For thou hast made him but little lower than God, 

And crownest him with glory and honor. — Psalm 8 : 2t-6. 

With all his weakness and disability, man is related to God 
in a unique manner. What do you think is necessary to turn 
his possibilities into realities? 

Fourth Day: There was a word Jesus used, one of the 
most wonderful in His whole vocabulary, the word "forgive- 
ness." It was wonderful because it gathered up into itself 
so many great ideas, that of God's sorrow because of man's 
sin, of His love for the one who had gone wrong, of His 
purpose to bring the sinner back to Himself. We recall the 
scene of the boy's return home: 

141 



[XI-5] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

And he arose, and came to his father. But while he 
was yet afar off, his father saw him, and was moved 
with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and 
kissed him. And the son said unto him. Father, I 
have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight : I am 
no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father 
said to his servants, Bring forth quickly the best 
robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, 
and shoes on his feet : and bring the fatted calf, and 
kill it, and let us eat, and make merry: for this my 
son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is 
found. — Luke 15 : 20-24. 

One of the things this story teaches is that God is anxious, 
more anxious than we can tell, to reestablish the old rela- 
tions of confidence and trust which had been broken, and 
that is what is meant by forgiveness. Christianity then, 
according to Jesus, is primarily a religion of restored rela- 
tionships. 

Fifth Day: Paul's letters are full of this same subject, 
forgiveness. 

Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace 
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; through 
whom also we have had our access by faith into this 
grace wherein we stand; and we rejoice in hope of 
the glory of God. — Rom. 5:1,2, 

"Justification" is a legal word and as such is liable to mis- 
understanding, but what Paul had in mind was such a change 
of relationship between God and man that man could feel 
free to go to God as a child goes to a parent. So remark- 
able was the change in a man who had entered into this re- 
lationship that to Paul all idea of patching up an old thing 
to "make it do" was excluded — the man who had been 
changed was like a new creature. 

Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new 
creature: the old things are passed away; behold, 
they are become new. — II Cor. 5 : 17. 

142 



DREAM OF RELIGION COME TRUE [XI-6] 

Sixth Day : Man*s moral life has been covered with 
blotches. He hates the thought, and wants to be able to live 
honorably and purely. What are his prospects? 

But I say, Walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not ful- 
fil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against 
the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these 
are contrary the one to the other ; that ye may not do 
the things that ye would. . . . And they that are 
of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the pas- 
sions and the lusts thereof. — Gal. 5 : 16, 17, 24. 

A new spirit possesses a man. Yes, but more than that is 
true — an influence from the outside, yet acting upon him in- 
visibly and from the inside, makes certain things possible 
which otherwise he could not do at all. It is very plain, 
too, that he cannot lie down and take it easy. In every pas- 
sage where the moral life is mentioned, the necessity of man's 
doing his part is shown. But when a man is honestly doing 
his part, his confidence may be complete. 

Seventh Day : Man's life lasts so short a time here below 
that inevitably he peers out into the future to discover, if pos- 
sible, what is in store for him. He needs two things, the as- 
surance of immortality and an immortality of such a kind as 
shall prove worthy of his highest ideals here in this life. 
We are told that it was Jesus Christ who "brought life and 
immortality to light through the gospel" (II Tim. 1:10), so 
that for a Christian all the assurance he needs is in his Lord. 

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth : for the 
first heaven and the first earth are passed away. . . . 
And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying. 
Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he 
shall dwell with them, and they shall be his peoples, 
and God himself shall be with them, and be their God : 
and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes ; 
and death shall be no more; neither shall there be 
mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first 
things are passed away. And he that sitteth on the 

143 



[XVs] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

throne said, Behold, I make all things new. . . . He 
that overcometh shall inherit these things ; and I will 
be his God, and he shall be my son. But for the 
fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and mur- 
derers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, 
and all liars, their part shall be in the lake that burn- 
eth with fire and brimstone; which is the second 
death.— Rev. 21 : i, 3-5, 7, 8. 

Sum up the characteristics of the life in the new Jeru- 
salem, the City of God. Who is to inherit all these things 
and enter into these relationships? We shudder at the 
thought of the cleavage, but what an inestimable boon it is 
to know that all which in any way would debase and degrade 
is conspicuous by its absence in that life. Only "new crea- 
tures" could enter into and appreciate such a world, and all 
that is there will be worthy of their highest and purest 
dreams. Only then will man come to his own. The secret 
of the blessedness of the coming experience is that Jesus 
Christ will be there, and in Him we shall have all. 

Study for the Week 

I 

We have found the men of every nation religious. A 
universal craving after God makes some kind of religion 
imperative. Our object has been to exhibit the various reli- 
gions in such a way that the sincere yearning of men for God 
might be seen in its true light. In the course of our wander- 
ings much truth has been encountered as well as error. And 
truth is always truth, wherever found and by whomsoever 
proclaimed. It makes no difference how much of the false is 
mingled with it, it is God's truth nevertheless, and is to 
be cherished and appropriated as a priceless possession. 

If there be truth in all the religions and if it is our duty 
to acknowledge truth wherever found, why is not an eclectic 
faith the only religion a truth-loving man can make his 
own? Why is he not in duty bound to pick out all the good 
points in all the religions he knows anything about and 

144 



DREAM OF RELIGION COME TRUE [XI-s] 

formulate a statement which will embrace them all? In what 
other way can he win the reputation of being candid and 
fair-minded? I^ not the acceptance of a single and more or 
less exclusive faith the stark repudiation of his sense of 
justice and broad-mindedness? 

If religion were a matter of beliefs only, much could be 
said for this view. But let us look at religion more closely. 
Is it a matter of the head only? Is it even primarily intellect- 
ual? Some have thought so and have acted as though all that 
was necessary had been done when coherent beliefs ar- 
ranged in systematic order had been presented. But religion 
must carry the whole personality or not be adequate to meet 
the demands made upon it. To embrace a religion is not 
primarily to believe certain things or to act in such and such 
a way, though both are essential. The first thing in religion 
is devotion, surrender, putting our trust in God. Of course 
there are beliefs on which this trust is built and practices 
which grow out of such a faith, but in essence religion is a 
matter of personal relationships. 

A most excellent illustration. is to be found in our Chris- 
tian view of marriage and family life. The promise a man 
makes is exceedingly exclusive, "forsaking all other, keep 
thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live" — exclusive 
to be sure, but essential if the heart is to find rest and peace. 
It is a condition of happiness found in the very structure of 
the human heart. The analogy with religion is almost exact. 
The human heart wants rest and peace, it is seeking an alle- 
giance, it desires to trust, it is looking for a worthy being" 
in whom to repose confidence. A religion in its central alle- 
giance must be to a certain extent exclusive, because the 
human personality is built that way. Augustine's famous 
saying is quite to the point, "Thou hast made us for Thy- 
self, and our heart is restless until it rests in Thee.'* 

But when this central point is seen and our confidence 
fixed, there is no limit to our right and duty to discover and 
appreciate every good thing in every religion and use it as a 
gift from God Himself. Our own conceptions will grow 

145 



[XI-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

richer and our moral perceptions sharper by the discovery of 
what to us might otherwise be hidden or dimly seen. God 
speaks in manifold ways. There is no contradiction in hold- 
ing that in Christ "are all the treasures of wisdom and 
knowledge hidden" (Col. 2:2,). It were a pity if the wisdom 
hidden in Christ was not so many-sided and ample that each 
race did not possess some element of it not discovered by 
others. 

II 

Christianity has a method of salvation which is possible of 
attainment. To make such a claim becomes all the more sur- 
prising when what is meant by salvation in Christianity is 
understood. It is far more than to be assured that certain 
consequences of our wrongdoings are abrogated. It is a 
sense of having found God and of having Him as our great 
Friend, on whom we may count for all we need. We were 
lost and could not find our way, but now the path is clear and 
we walk in it, and peace and gladness are ours. A very great 
change has taken place-^a sense of trust in God has changed 
our whole relation to others. Our confidence is such that 
nothing present or in the future, in this life or the other, up- 
sets us so that we cannot recover ourselves. The experience 
may be vivid or it may be in the softer colors — the important 
thing is that we are possessed of an assurance that things are 
right, and that we have good reason for this conclusion. 

Running over the religions of the world, we find that all 
have some idea of salvation and all teach some method of 
attaining it. Of what good were religion if it did not claim 
to save? Now when all the schemes of salvation have been 
collected and are compared, they are seen to fall into two 
great classes. That is, in principle there are just two con- 
ceivable methods of securing salvation : one is to win it for 
oneself and the other is to receive it as a gift. 

Sitting on beds of spikes, attempting to keep without in- 
fringement a set of moral rules, trying to throttle one's in- 
clinations and desires, losing one's self in absorbed contempla- 

146 



DREAM OF RELIGION COME TRUE [XI-s] 

tion, have all been used and are now in use to bring peace, 
to win the approval of God. Failure is written large over 
every one of these attempts. Something is always lacking. 
Our resolution breaks down somewhere and we are undone. 
Christianity proclaims salvation as the free gift of God. 
The condition of its coming is that we shall want it and want 
it sufficiently to ask for it and trust God that it is ours. We 
call it faith; it means taking a certain risk, that God does 
actually do what He has promised, and then acting accord- 
ingly. Faith means devotion ; a giving of oneself up to an- 
other, in this case to Jesus Christ. We call him Saviour be- 
cause we are saved from our lower selves, from our fears, 
from the things which destroy, and we are alive to things 
which are true and noble and pure. Our attainment may at 
times be very slow, even to the point of discouragement, 
but so long as our attitude toward Jesus Christ is one of 
eager desire to win His approval and of trust in His ability 
to make good with His promises, we are saved. 

in 

The beauty of the method of salvation just spoken of is 
that it is open to all. Anyone can trust another if he has con- 
fidence in him. But we must go further. The moral task still 
stares a man in the face. It is here he has been stumbling 
and falling all his life. It is this that has caused him re- 
morse and bitterness, that has broken up his peace a thou- 
sand times, and almost led him to the verge of despair. "Con- 
science doth make cowards of us all," and unhappy, despairing 
men as well. The religion which makes such claims as Chris- 
tianity ought to have some good method of cracking this 
hard nut, or fall to the level of other religions almost bank- 
rupt morally. 

Now it. will be clearly understood that Christianity does not 
attain its end by lessening the moral pressure. Far from it 
— the very opposite is true. No religion can compare with 
Christianity in moral strenuousness. Mohammedan morality, 
and Confucian, and Buddhist, compared point by point, show 

147 



[XI-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

the uniqueness of the Christian position. We are judged not 
only by our acts, but by the desires and thoughts we harbor. 
We are to be judged by the most rigorous of all standards, 
that of love. No one can hold his head up when such tests 
are applied. The pride of the Rich Young Ruler that he 
had kept all the commandments Jesus cited did not last, when 
Jesus probed to the heart of his indulgent selfishness. Our 
moral ideal constantly recedes as we make progress. It keeps 
ahead of us with its tantalizing demands until in despera- 
tion we wonder why we cannot reach the summit. 

How can there be any peace or gladness in such a religion, 
a religion which is always demanding more than we can 
fulfil, and which promises this kind of an experience to the 
very end? There are two things Christianity has to say to 
us in this strange plight. One is the word of forgiveness. 
God restores the old relation of companionship for which we 
were intended. That is the "good news" of Christianity. 

Now God could be convicted of immorality in His forgive- 
ness, if it were bestowed on anyone who was not in the moral 
battle to win. Otherwise He would be implicated in wrong- 
doing by passing over it lightly. Not so with our God, the 
God revealed by Jesus Christ. But if this be true, the wonder 
is that foreboding and discouragement do not take possession 
of the Christian as he feels his weakness and looks out into 
the days to come with their temptations. No joy over God*s 
forgiveness could last in such a chilly atmosphere of appre- 
hension. What is there to do? The other word Christianity 
has to speak is Christ's message that He has not left us alone 
in the world, but has sent His Spirit everywhere among men 
to be their Helper. Invisible yet present and active, this 
Holy Spirit makes His abode in the lives of Christian men 
and women as a kind of moral and spiritual dynamic. He 
helps them to do what would otherwise be impossible. 

IV 

Christianity does more than this. It reveals a God who is 
at the same time a Father. Does that sound commonplace? 

148 



DREAM OF RELIGION COME TRUE [XI-s] 

We do hear it very often these days, but do people really 
understand what it means when God is spoken of as Father? 
He is far more than father in the ordinary sense ; He is father 
in that He wa's like Jesus. This revelation was made in the 
only manner in which men could understand it. It was 
made in human form, in the language men spoke. In Jesus 
Christ we see God come down as a man among us. He passed 
through a human experience among us, and we see Him in 
our own light and hear Him in our own tongue. In Jesus 
Christ we see manhood at its best; we see also God liv- 
ing a human life. Mr. Lloyd George was once enjoying one 
of his trips to his native Welsh hills and valleys. He was 
asked how it was he understood so well and sympathized 
so completely with the cottagers in the little villages. His 
answer was that he knew what it meant to look out at the 
world from the inside, through those cottage windows. In 
Jesus Christ God was looking out at our world from our own 
human cottage windows. So He understands and sympathizes 
with us completely because He knows, not so much by the 
divine and majestic attribute of omniscience, as by experience. 
Our God was revealed perfectly by Jesus Christ, so He is 
a Christ-like God. 

Now this is what all the world's a-seeking — to know God. 
It is the deepest longing in the human breast. We may see 
this at a point we should scarcely think of as giving us light 
here. What is the real meaning of image worship, of idols? 
It must be based on some innate desire, some fundamental 
need of men. Is it not to have a God brought near? to have 
something tangible and visible to make God real to their 
minds? This is surely a worthy desire. See how Christianity 
meets this need fully in Jesus Christ. Paul speaks of "Christ, 
who is the image of God" (II Cor. 4:4), and the author of 
the Epistle to the Hebrews speaks of Jesus, "the Son," as 
"the very image of his substance" (Heb. 1:3). Yes, men 
want to know God in a manner and form they can understand. 
They will have an image. The one essential of an image is 
that it worthily and adequately represent its object, and 

149 



[XI-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

here all man-made idols fall down. Is God such as they 
have pictured? If so, what a God He must be! No wonder 
the non-Christian religions are inadequate. But in Jesus 
Christ we have a perfect image of the one loving God, and 
when we see Him we see God as He is. 



Christianity points to a cross, which symbolizes its victory 
over the world's suffering and sin. It is the preaching of the 
cross that breaks the heart of stone. Sin and suffering are 
everywhere. And a religion making universal claims must 
qualify here, or be out of the running. We live not in an 
ideal world, full of beauty and goodness, but in a disordered 
world, full of misgiving and malice and sorrow. 

We might debate how much of the suffering in the world 
is the result of wrongdoing, and come to different conclusions. 
But since things are as they are, a religion is bound to deal 
with sin, and do it in such a way as Xo give men hope. Until 
we begin to see the problem as God does, we cannot appre- 
ciate the meaning of that feature of Christianity which down 
through the Christian ages has been its chief basis of appeal. 

The life and death of Jesus Christ and His rising again 
was God*s response to man's need. Jesus Christ suffered and 
died; He sounded to the depth the meaning of human suffer- 
ing and sin. Is there any wonder He could say as He did, 
with this whole experience in view, "Be of good cheer ; I have 
overcome the world" (John i6: 33) ? He had passed through 
and was victorious. The assurance of all for which we strive 
lies in the power of the living Christ, who went to the bottom 
of the pit and rose again the victor. 

The great barrier between God and man was the fact that 
man had sinned. Sin is like dust in the eyes, it cuts off our 
view. Man lost sight of God and became a wanderer in the 
world. Everything was askew because God and man were 
not friends. With all their attempts, the great religious 
leaders of the world could not bring about the kind of con- 
tact which would seal a friendship. This Jesus did. 

150 



DREAM OF RELIGION COME TRUE [XI-s] 

It is in Christ's death on the cross that we arrive at the 
heart of the reconciliation. Sin was so terrible that Jesus 
died— not in tlie ordinary sense, for He gave up his life. 
There was purpose and meaning in it for Him and, if we will, 
for us. If sin was so terrible that it was necessary for Christ 
to give up His very life, how great must have been the love 
of God in sending His Son for this very purpose! If sin was 
so terrible, what a necessity rested upon God to make it 
appear dreadful by such a sacrifice, in order to save His 
forgiveness of sin from becoming cheap ! How much farther 
Christianity penetrates to the inner meaning of the world's 
malady than any other religion! What other religion can 
burst out in praise like this: "O death, where is thy victory? 
O death, where is thy sting? The sting of death is sin; and 
the power of sin is the law : but thanks be to God, who giveth 
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Cor. 
15:55-57). 

VI 

Such a religion is universal — not because Jesus Christ issued 
a command to carry His Gospel to the ends of' the earth, but 
because it fits the needs of men. It is all summed up in the 
life and character of Jesus Christ — our religion is essen- 
tially what its name indicates, the religion of Christ, Chris- 
tianity. Paradoxical as it may seem, the only way to make 
democracy safe is to make Jesus King in the hearts of men. 
He is the world's only hope, because He is the only figure who 
looms up larger than Confucius or Buddha or Moses or Mo- 
hammed. None greater than they have lived, yet how full of 
mistakes and failures ! Yet here is Jesus, immaculate in His 
purity and stainless in all His deeds. 

Thou alone. Oh "Crystal Christ,^' art worthy to lead all the 
world's noblest. 

Suggestions for Thought and Discussion 
I. The Bible and Man 

Try to formulate all the biblical passages have to 'say 

151 " 



[XI-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

about man. In what respects is he to be blamed for his 
present condition? What kind of a start did he have? 
What is his hope? 

II. Religions True and Incomplete 

What does the presence of truth in all religions indicate? 
What is the central fact about a religion, the fact that de- 
termines its position? Why cannot we succeed in mak- 
ing a religion out of all the true things in all religions? 

III. The Appeal of Christianity 

What is there which is attractive about the Christian 
method of being saved? How is salvation attempted in 
other religions? How can a man who wants to live the 
Christian life look forward with joy, when he knows he 
is weak and has so often failed before? How does Chris- 
tianity deal with the problem caused by sin? What makes 
such a religion as Christianity essentially universal? 

(Among many books, such a volume as "The Main 
Poipts," by Dr. Charles Reynolds Brown, will be found 
most stimulating.) 



152 



CHAPTER XII 

WHAT MANNER OF MAN IS THIS? 

The world has had, as we have discovered, a number of 
great religious leaders. We have studied Mohammed, and 
Confucius, and Gautama Buddha. What is the place of Jesus 
Christ among the religious geniuses of the world? Is He one 
among many, is He to be classified with others even though 
with the distinction of being easily first, or has He a unique 
place which He alone occupies? What do the records tell 
about Him? What did He say about Himself? What im- 
pression did He make upon His immediate followers? What 
has been accomplished by the religion He founded? What 
is His place today? 

Daily Readings 

First Day: The way was not unprepared for Jesus. Had 
not certain of the Old Testament prophets spoken of a 
"coming one," a Messiah, who would be the Deliverer? They 
had not labored in vain. There was a sense of expectancy^ 
the looked-for Messiah would surely come soon. 

And as the people were in expectation, and all men 
reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether 
haply he were the Christ ; John answered, saying unto 
them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but there 
cometh he that is mightier than I, the latchet of 
whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall 
baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire : whose fan 
is in his hand, thoroughly to cleanse his threshing- 
floor, and to gather the wheat into his garner ; but the 
chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire. — ;Luke 
3:15-17. 

153 



[XII-2] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

John introduced Jesus to the Jewish people ; his word was, 
this one, this very man Jesus, is He who is to fulfil the ex- 
pectations aroused by the prophets. 

Second Day : Two aspects of the life and work of Christ 
are to be presented today. • 

And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent 
them to the Lord, saying. Art thou he that cometh, or 
look we for another? And when the men were come 
unto him, they said, John the Baptist hath sent us 
unto thee, saying. Art thou he that cometh, or look 
we for another? In that hour he cured many of 
diseases and plagues and evil spirits ; and on many 
that were blind he bestowed sight. And he answered 
and said unto them, Go and tell John the things which 
ye have seen and heard ; the blind receive their sight, 
the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf 
hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good tid- 
ings preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever 
shall find no occasion of stumbling in me, — Luke 
7:19-23. 

Has civilization ever entered into the meaning of such a 
program? Yet it was the program of Jesus. 

At that season Jesus answered and said, I thank 
thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou 
didst hide these things from the wise and understand- 
ing, and didst reveal them unto babes : yea. Father, 
for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight. All things 
have been delivered unto me of my Father : and no 
one knoweth the Son, save the Father; neither doth 
any know the Father, save the Son, and he to whom- 
soever the Son willeth to reveal him. Come unto 
me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will 
give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of 
me ; for I am meek and lowly in heart : and ye shall 
find j-est unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and 
my burden is light. — Matt. 11 : 25-30. 

154 



WHAT MANNER OF MAN IS THIS? [XII-3] 

Jesus knew God His Father. Has anyone ever claimed to 
share such knowledge with Jesus? How could Jesus know 
God so intimately? 

Third Day: Jesus was a teacher. He spoke words out of 
a heart of sympathy and understanding. He attracted men 
and women and children by His gentleness and consideration. 

And all bare him witness, and wondered at the 
words of grace which proceeded out of -his mouth. — 
Luke 4 : 22. 

The common people heard him gladly. — Mark 
12:37. 

More than that, Jesus spoke with authority. 

And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these 
words, the multitudes were astonished at his teach- 
ing : for he taught them as one having authority, and 
not as their scribes. — Matt. 7 : 28, 29. 

The people who heard his words knew by an unerring 
instinct that Jesus had the right to teach and to command. 

Fourth Day : The authority Jesus possessed and exercised 
was founded on something within Himself. Jesus passed 
through the sam.e experience of temptation as we do. 

For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, 
he is able to succor them that are tempted. — Heb. 
2: 18. 

For we have not a high priest that cannot be 
touched with the feeling of our infirmities ; but one 
that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, 
yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with 
boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may re- 
ceive mercy, and may find grace to help us in time 
of need. — Heb. 4: 15, 16. 

Is there any power which is to be compared with the 
power to meet all temptation triumphantly? Jesus throws 

155 



[XII-5] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

out this startling challenge, "Which of you convicteth me 
of sin?*' (John 8: 46). Jesus had no consciousness of sin, 
yet His moral sensitiveness surpassed that of any of the 
sons of men. He was like us, yet what a gulf lies between 
Him and ourselves ! 

Fifth Day: Jesus not only lived a unique life; He died, 
and in the estimate of His followers a unique significance 
attaches to His death. Then He rose from the dead and 
appeared again to His disciples. 

For I delivered unto you first of all that which also 
I received : that Christ died for our sins according 
to the scriptures ; and that he was buried ; and that 
he hath been raised on the third day according to the 
scriptures ; and that he appeared to Cephas ; then to 
the twelve ; then he appeared to above five hundred 
brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain 
until now, but some are fallen asleep ; then he ap- 
peared to James ; then to all the apostles ; and last of 
all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me 
also.— I Cor. 15:3-8. 

This was the Gospel of the early Church — "so we preach 
and so ye believed.'* Is there any wonder that Easter stands 
out as the most significant of all the days of the Christian 
year ? 

Sixth Day: Not only were the disciples convinced that 
Jesus was alive, and "alive for evermore" ; they were also 
conscious of His continued activity. He was present with 
them though unseen, doing His characteristic work. 

Howbeit what things were gain to me, these have 
I counted loss for Christ. Yea verily, and I count all 
things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge 
of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I suffered the 
loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, 
that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not hav- 
ing a righteousness of mine own, even that which is 

156 



WHAT MANNER OF MAN IS THIS? [XII-7] 

of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, 
the righteousness which is from God by faith : that I 
may know him, and the power of his resurrection, 
and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming con- 
formed unto his death ; if by any means I may at- 
tain unto the resurrection from the dead. — Phil. 
3:7-11. 

Here we have the testimony of Paul, who had met Jesus 
first on the road to Damascus. 

Whom not having seen ye love; on whom, though 
now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly 
with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the 
end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 
—I Peter i : 8, 9. 

This was the experience of the vacillating Peter, who had 
become rock-like. And what shall we say of the same Lord 
Jesus, when men and women around us are finding the same 
things true of themselves? 



Seventh Day : Jesus, then, was Saviour as well as Risen 
Lord. The writers of the New Testament went even further. 

Who delivered us out of the power of darkness, 
and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of 
his love; in whom we have our redemption, the for- 
giveness of our sins : who is the image of the invis- 
ible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him 
were all things created, in the heavens and upon the 
earth, things visible and things invisible, whether 
thrones or dominions or principalities or powers ; all 
things have been created through him, and unto him; 
and he is before all things, and in him all things 
consist. And he is the head of the body, the church : 
who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; 
that in all things he might have the preeminence. For 
it was the good pleasure of the Father that in him 
should all the fulness dwell. — Col. i : 13-19. 

157 



[XII-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

Think of some of these phrases, ''the image of the invis- 
ible God," ''all things have been created through him, and 
unto him," "in all things he might have the preeminence," 
"in him should all the fulness dwell." Jesus made such an 
impression on His followers that in sheer honesty they were 
compelled to make some change in their idea of God Him- 
self. The best they could say about God, now that they 
had seen Jesus, was that God must be like Him. They 
went even a step further and linked Jesus with God so 
intimately in their thought and in their language that they 
found themselves treating Jesus just as they did God Himself. 

Study for the Week 



Christianity is the religion of Christ. The most superficial 
glance over the churches which call themselves Christian 
reveals one fact, that they are one in loyalty to Jesus Christ. 

In their common loyalty to Jesus Christ all these bodies, 
Roman Catholic, Greek, and Protestant, have certain fea- 
tures in common. Their practice and worship vary greatly, 
but still give evidence of a common origin. Worship and 
praise are oiiered to Jesus Christ by all alike. Each is jeal- 
ous of its loyalty to Him and would scout the suggestion that 
any practice or belief is out of harmony with His will and 
purpose. The same Bible is looked upon as containing an 
authoritative deposit of faith and practice. Two sacraments, 
baptism and the Lord's Supper, have been preserved by all, 
save a few small Protestant bodies. 

In belief the likeness is even more striking.' Certain prim- 
itive doctrines are accepted by all. All have held during the 
centuries to belief in God and in His existence in a Trinity, 
and all have strenuously defended the reality of the incarna- 
tion of God in Jesus Christ. All have continued to believe 
in a special significance as attaching to His death and His 
resurrection. Forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in His name. 
The presence of the Holy Spirit guiding and giving strength 

158 



WHAT MANNER OF MAN IS THIS? [XII-s] 

to men and leading the Church in its course is a doctrine 
maintained wherever Christians are to be found. With all 
their differences and their inability to unite, the truth seems 
to be that Christianity is not so seriously divided either in 
belief or practice as other great religions, like Islam and 
Buddhism. 

II 

The most significant historical and geographical fact relative 
to Christianity is that more than any other faith it has justi- 
fied its claim to be a world religion. It is found literally 
the world over. Jesus Christ was a Jew^ and He built His 
religion on a Semitic foundation. His immediate followers 
were all Jews and their early preaching was at first ex- 
clusively to members of their own race. Paul, the "apostle 
to the Gentiles," was the first who saw with eye undimmed 
the universal outlook of his Master, Jesus Christ, and suc- 
ceeded in carrying the great majority of the Church with him 
in breaking down all the barriers between Jew and Gentile 
in the new Church. With Paul Christianity started on its 
career as the religion of the peoples of Europe. These 
peoples were conquered by the new religion, so that from an 
early day the prevailing features of Christianity have been 
European and not Semitic and Asiatic. 

The story would be a long one, were we to recount the 
whole history of the conquest of the European races by 
Christianity. Two great stages mark the course of the ad- 
vance. The first may be said to extend from the day of 
Pentecost, when Peter preached the first evangelistic Chris- 
tian sermon in Jerusalem, to the Council of Nicea in 325, 
when, under summons of the Emperor Constantine, who 
had accepted the once despised Cross of Jesus Christ as his 
emblem, the first great Christian council met to unify Chris- 
tian belief and practice, as the Emperor had just succeeded 
in uniting the Empire politically. In large districts of the 
eastern part of the Empire, notably the whole of Asia Minor, 
Christianity was the dominant religion. In other places the 

159 



[XII-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

new faith was not so strong, but in every place it was the 
growing, enthusiastic faith. The future was hers. In ways 
unknown by us today little churches had been started in 
every part of the Mediterranean littoral and even as far 
away as distant Britain. The significance of Constantine's 
act in making Christianity the officially recognized religion 
of the Empire lies in the fact that he was keen enough to see 
what the actual conditions were, that the only hope of his 
uniting a divided Empire was to make use of the single force 
which was an effective bond of union. Christianity was found 
everywhere and the Christians were bound together in a 
brotherhood as strong as bands of steel. 

Ill 

What was the secret of this remarkable achievement? The 
most famous answer is the five-fold summary of Edward 
Gibbon : 'T. The inflexible and . . . intolerant zeal of the 
Christians. ... II. The doctrine of a future life. . . . 

III. The miraculous powers ascribed to the primitive Church. 

IV. The pure and austere morals of the Christians. V. The 
union and discipline of the Christian repubHc." But were 
we to have talked with one of those early Christians, a very 
different story would have been told. Jesus would be the 
burden of his message — had He not spoken peace to his soul? 
Had He not saved him from the evil life which had been his? 
Had He not brought happiness and unselfish consideration 
into his dealings with his wife and children? Did He not 
hold out to him the promise of eternal life when this short 
life was ended? Listen to the words of the venerable Poly- 
carp before the tribunal, when asked to deny his Lord and 
thus save himself from the lions, "Fourscore and six years 
have I been serving Him, and He hath done me no wrong; 
how then can I blaspheme the King who saved me?'' When 
all the facts are taken into view, the truer account of the 
success of the Christian Church during these three hundred 
years would be to say that the presence of the living Christ 

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WHAT MANNER OF MAN IS THIS? [XII-s] 

in the hearts of His people made possible what otherwise 
would be entirely unintelligible. There was a new power 
in the world*- Not merely a new doctrine to teach, nor a 
new rule of life to practice, but a living Person energizing 
all their thoughts and actions, was transforming the world 
before their eyes. 

Is there any wonder, then, that during all these formative 
years the Church was continually asking itself, "What manner 
of man is this?" This Jesus now living within them and 
filling them with a glory they had never thought possible 
among men, this Jesus, whose life and teaching and death 
and resurrection are given in the gospels and interpreted in 
the letters of their beloved apostles, could be no ordinary 
being. They worked at the problem with all their intellectual 
and moral and spiritual powers. No human analogies were 
capable of expressing what Jesus Christ meant to them, and 
yet they must be able to tell of His wonders and His grace. 
And so they made definitions and formed creeds. Many, in 
attempting to simplify and make more clear their meaning, 
fell below what the main body of the Church thought ade- 
quate. They were dealt with roughly at times, far too roughly 
in our estimation. Many centuries were to pass before men 
learned the lesson of Christian tolerance. The Church in 
this early day was deeply exercised over the honor to be 
paid to Christ. They looked upon it as a matter of life 
and death. All they had came from Him. He was regis- 
tering His presence in their lives every day, and they must 
give Him the honor which His deeds in their lives and in 
the Church demanded. Nothing less than His preeminence 
would satisfy them. Their experience led them to fall down 
before Jesus with the exclamation of the apostle Thomas, 
*'My Lord and My God." 

IV 

The second stage of the Christian conquest of the European 
people falls in the Middle Ages. The feat accomplished by the 
Christian Church during these centuries was the winning of 

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[XII-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

northern Europe to the Church. When the period opened, 
the center of European civilization was on the shores of the 
Mediterranean; when it closed, the scene had shifted to the 
North. The gift of Christianity to northern Europe was 
not only a new and satisfying religion, but civilization itself. 
The history of northern Europe virtually begins with the 
coming of the religion of Christ. 

A very different picture presents itself in this period from 
that in the old Empire, when the early Church was making 
its influence felt. Christianity, in a way not true in the 
old day, is dominated by the Church. Did we say that men 
were won to Christ in the days of the Empire? It would be 
truer of the Middle Ages to say that they were won to the 
Church. Not that Christ had been forgotten, but that, as 
His representative on earth, the Church of Christ obscured 
to a greater or less degree the vision of the Christ Him- 
self. Men were more anxious to obey the behests of the 
Church than to listen to the voice of Christ within and to 
study the tale of His life as found in the simplicity of the 
gospel story. Unsurpassed heroism was manifested by a 
thousand devoted missionaries, whose relation to Christ in 
many cases was beautiful to behold. But with it all the 
presence of a dominant Church made a great difference. 
Nominal conversions, formalism, insistence on outward con- 
formity took the place of vital contact with the living Christ 
in so many cases that they became characteristic of the 
period. Add to this the use of coercion to force unwill- 
ing peoples into the Church and the tale of an unfortunate 
period is complete. Northern Europe was won, won to 
the Church and to at least a nominal acceptance of the teach- 
ings of Christianity, but much was left to be desired. 



Is there any wonder a Reformation was needed? Chris- 
tianity languished and was well-nigh sick unto death, when 
the great change came in the Protestant Reformation of the 
sixteenth century, under the leadership of Martin Luther. 

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WHAT MANNER OF MAN IS THIS? [XII-s] 

What was the great religious significance of this upheaval, 
under whose influence we still live? Again it is concerned 
with the great' center of the Christian faith, Christ Himself — 
not now to settle the question of His dignity and the honor 
which is His due, but to secure the access to Him which the 
human soul demands. The Christ was a living Christ, to be 
sure, but the Church stood between the individual believer 
and his Saviour. Forgiveness could come only through 
priestly absolution. The Church was the necessary channel of 
communion between the believer and Christ. Now the gist 
of the Reformation is that any human being may have imme- 
diate contact with the living Christ, irrespective of church or 
creed or ceremony or priest. Protestantism has stood for 
this one vital thing. It has considered it a matter of life 
and death to keep the channel of communication between 
Christ and the believer securely open and unobstructed. 

So earnest have Protestants been to protect the rights of 
the individual believer, to see to it that no authoritative hier- 
archy or assembly dominate the life and prevent the free 
movement of the human soul in its approach to Christ, that 
all kinds of splits have taken place. No matter how small the 
difference, a new church must be formed to give expression 
to the particular truth which had been discovered. So far 
has this been carried that all earnest minds in our day are 
turning in the opposite direction, and seeking ways and means 
by which lesser differences can be laid aside or placed in 
their rightful place of unimportance. By emphasizing the 
points of likeness, the day is being looked for when there 
may be a return to greater unity than now exists. To this 
end every Christian should work and pray. Is it not in line 
with our Lord's thought when He prayed that all His fol- 
lowers might be one? 

VI 

Since the Reformation, and in these latter days, Christianity 
is proving in a more marked degree than ever before its 
universal claims. The missionaries of the Cross of Christ 

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[XII-s] THE FAITHS OF MANKIND 

have gone to all lands and have established the Church among 
all peoples. Mohammedans have been converted, as have high 
caste Hindus, Chinese literati, and patriotic Japanese. No 
other classes are more antagonistic to the gospel message than 
these, yet representatives of all have kneeled down to do 
homage to Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. In many 
lands and in divers tongues the name of Jesus is sung by 
children and His power to save proclaimed by men and 
women, whose first ray of light in the midst of heathen 
darkness came from the story of His love and sacrifice. 

The seedtime lasted long and is not yet complete, the first 
fruits have appeared in nearly every land, and now rich re- 
wards are appearing. Nothing fills the heart of the Chris- 
tian with more joy and confidence for the future than the 
spirit of unity which fills the breasts of those who have been 
won to Jesus Christ. With comparatively little interest in 
the differences which have kept believers apart in Europe 
and America, they are asking with increasing emphasis why 
they should be kept apart when they feel that they are 
brothers together. Do they not sing and pray together and 
work and live together? Why then should they be kept apart? 
It is a wonderful testimony they bear to the unity of be- 
lievers in Christ, untouched by the influences which have 
kept the churches in Christendom apart. 

VII 

Finally, what manner of man is this that such results have 
flowed from the preaching of His name? His word has 
proved to be true in actual practice, "I am the way, the truth, 
and the life." Christianity means many things in theory and 
practice, but all that is truly and necessarily Christian may 
be summed up in one word, Christ. Christ is the living center 
of His own religion and is the standard by which everything 
must be judged. All else takes on value as it finds some place 
of usefulness in relation to Him. In a very true sense Chris- 
tianity is Christ. And just as clearly as men heard His voice 

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WHAT MANNER OF MAN IS THIS? [XII-s] 

on the Galilean hills they may hear His summons today. He 
would woo them to Himself so that they might feel the 
warmth of Ilis love and catch the fervor of His spirit. He 
would send them out into a wild and fear-tossed world with 
His word of courage and kindness and power. This is the 
message of the Christ. Do we hear? Do we heed? 

Suggestions for Thought and Discussion 

I. Jesus Christ in the Bible 

What expectations did the Old Testament create in antic- 
ipation of the coming of a Messiah, a Deliverer? Why 
were the Jew5 disappointed when Jesus appeared? What 
differentiates Jesus from other characters? What was the 
source of His inspiration and authority? What do we mean 
when we say that Jesus is alive today? How do we know 
it? 

II. Jesus Christ in Human History 

Trace the course of Christian history to see how the 
knowledge of Jesus has been carried to the ends of the 
earth. What is the secret of this expansion? Does it shed 
any light on the kind of person Jesus is? Why did the 
Church attempt to formulate a doctrine about Jesus Christ? 
Why are we trying to do the same thing today? 

HI. Jesus Christ and the World's Need 

What may we hope Jesus may be able to do in the world 
today in view of the story of the past? What is the part 
men must play to make His work effective? What connec- 
tion is there between the unity of the Church and its work 
in the world? How best can we honor Jesus Christ? 

C'The Jesus of History," by Prof. T. R. Glover, will help 
the discussion of this chapter greatly.) 



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